I looked in the mirror this morning and thought, "wow, I look old." Granted I was tired, but I don't often assess myself that way. Perhaps it's on my mind because it's my birthday month and I'm on countdown -- to age 58. Damn, I sure don't feel that old, and for that I'm grateful. But the question this morning was, "where did my eyebrows go?" It looks like I Nair'd off about 1/3 of each. I was never an over-plucker; rather I think they left town with my estrogen a few years ago. I'm home today, with only a radon vendor coming, and I still felt like I had to put my eyebrows back on. A penciled-in brow doesn't say "I'm young" but it's better than a missing one.
I've been thinking about looking/appearing and actually being older. No-one likes the physical changes on their face but I got thinking about the things people do that make them age or seem older:
Still using 2 spaces after a period. Ahem. I do that. It's total muscle memory. Such a hard habit to break, but I'm going to work on it.
Groaning or wincing when you start moving. You have to expect and prepare for that initial stiffness and fully commit to the lie, rising without giving away what's really going on. Unless no-one is in the room with you.
Still using an AOL or Hotmail email address. Guilty. I do have gmail and iCloud accounts; I just haven't spread them around to friends, most of whom use my work address anyway. I'm trying to hire someone to lead a data strategy for the future and one candidate has an AOL email...I don't think they are the right person.
Wearing anything tweed. Don't own any. Can't do it.
Traveling with a real book. You dinosaur.
Never updating your home. Close your eyes. Remember how it was to walk into your grandmother's house or the house you grew up in after you became an adult? Now look at your home through that same lens. Still have a 3-piece dark wood entertainment unit? Low cabinets in your bathroom? Old tile? Yikes...you just said, 'but these things are perfectly fine!!' didn't you? Of course they are (maybe with a coat of paint). But the crystal collection? Or the bookcase with videotapes? Time to go!
Using reading glasses. Alas. I think the failing eyesight is the worst. I'm just so happy God told a scientist to create mono-vision and multi-focal contact lenses. I can fight reading glasses a while longer.
OK, so I'm still taking a trip to Old Lady Land but working out solutions to slow it down. When I looked in the mirror this morning and thought, "I look old", a small voice in my head said, "Just smile!". So I did, and then I just looked happy, not old. It's a good trick.
I've been thinking about looking/appearing and actually being older. No-one likes the physical changes on their face but I got thinking about the things people do that make them age or seem older:
Still using 2 spaces after a period. Ahem. I do that. It's total muscle memory. Such a hard habit to break, but I'm going to work on it.
Groaning or wincing when you start moving. You have to expect and prepare for that initial stiffness and fully commit to the lie, rising without giving away what's really going on. Unless no-one is in the room with you.
Still using an AOL or Hotmail email address. Guilty. I do have gmail and iCloud accounts; I just haven't spread them around to friends, most of whom use my work address anyway. I'm trying to hire someone to lead a data strategy for the future and one candidate has an AOL email...I don't think they are the right person.
Wearing anything tweed. Don't own any. Can't do it.
Traveling with a real book. You dinosaur.
Never updating your home. Close your eyes. Remember how it was to walk into your grandmother's house or the house you grew up in after you became an adult? Now look at your home through that same lens. Still have a 3-piece dark wood entertainment unit? Low cabinets in your bathroom? Old tile? Yikes...you just said, 'but these things are perfectly fine!!' didn't you? Of course they are (maybe with a coat of paint). But the crystal collection? Or the bookcase with videotapes? Time to go!
Using reading glasses. Alas. I think the failing eyesight is the worst. I'm just so happy God told a scientist to create mono-vision and multi-focal contact lenses. I can fight reading glasses a while longer.
OK, so I'm still taking a trip to Old Lady Land but working out solutions to slow it down. When I looked in the mirror this morning and thought, "I look old", a small voice in my head said, "Just smile!". So I did, and then I just looked happy, not old. It's a good trick.