Aging​…

Today I’ve been thinking of the first line from the Rolling Stone’s song, “Mother’s Little Helper“… “What a drag it is getting old”.

Isn’t this the way we would like to see ourselves…the age we feel…not necessarily the age on our identification?   One of the reasons I hate to have my picture taken is because that snapshot in time never looks like the reflection that I see in my mirror.  I never like the image in the photo, and I always wonder if this is how I really look and is this how others see me?  Do we pose in the mirror to show our best selves?

The real cruelty comes with magnifying mirrors, especially when magnified 10X and illuminated with a cool LED light.   I know this photo (left) is a little very extreme, but you get the idea.  Adding to the fright…what you thought were fine lines suddenly become deep cracks and what you assumed was smooth, clear skin is actually a mass of large pores and age spots.   To add to the assault,   if your eyesight wasn’t aging you wouldn’t have to subject yourself to this madness in the first place!

Once you get over the shock of the magnifying mirror how do you best handle the aging process?  Society for women living in North America makes it more difficult to age gracefully compared with our European sisters, however, more and more they too are going under the knife.  Plastic surgery and/or cosmetic enhancements are commonplace.  Even if we have a healthy attitude about aging do we want to handicap ourselves if everyone else is getting younger looking?   This requires a great deal of confidence.  Since I have decided to go “all in” with the grey hair, I’m not so sure how I feel.  It’s still a surprise to see myself with grey hair and I know that when others see me subconsciously they automatically put me into a certain age category.  It doesn’t help to see my friends, who haven’t yet gone grey naturally or have decided to continue colouring their hair, still looking beautiful and youthful!

With mixed messages coming from every direction it’s difficult to decide what to do. Does it make sense to age naturally?  Why not take advantage of all the advancements made in plastic surgery or the latest treatments available through dermatologists?  I’m not sure where I sit on this debate but I have no judgement either way. I do know that if you want some enhancement done it’s better not to wait too long…after all …there is only so much that can be done!!

Getting older is the natural progression of life and I am aware that living life to its fullest, experiencing new adventures, travelling, and meeting new people can only be done with the passage of time.  For the most part (and on most days) I can accept the gradual decay of the body…but somedays I wish I could have all the good things in life without sacrificing some of the others.  Where are you on the subject of aging?

xxx Judy