Saturday, March 08, 2008
The other day I looked in the mirror and this LADY was looking back. She was definitely older than I remember.
Do you ever have one of those moments when you suddenly see yourself as you are? Well, the fact is, I'm 43. Actually if I think like Becca, 43 and a half. I simply don't look like I did last decade.
Not that I look terrible... I just don't think I look like me. I don't know how to describe this. Body parts are moving around. Darned gravity. Also facial features are changing. My skin is holding up ok, but I feel like the muscles underneath might be letting it down?
Fortunately I don't make my living with my looks. Still, I have to start embracing this new lady. She does take care of herself - her hair looks pretty fabulous and she is using excellent moisturizer.
It all made me think about the first time I was called "ma'am" instead of "miss". If you are a woman, you remember where you were when this happened as easily as you can recall where you were when the Twin Towers went down. If you're a guy, you're reading this thinking, really?
I was debarking a taxi in Chicago. I was 29. The cab driver was younger than me. But not by much.
Then unusual things started happening. Someone must have cut a hole in the time/space continuum starting then. The doctors started to get younger! My doctor is at least 10 years younger than me! And when I interview college seniors for jobs now, I am tempted to look at their drivers licenses... geez are those people REALLY 21?
And when I hear of someone passing away at 70, I say, WOW that's so YOUNG!
I referred to Wolfman Jack in a meeting and people didn't know what I was saying. Richard Dreyfus moved into my friend Joan's neighborhood and the kids have no idea who this is. Don told me one of our cars is 10 years old, and it actually seems pretty new to me.
I play BUNCO with a group of ladies. And I like it. I'm married to a guy who's going to turn 52 (WOW that's so YOUNG).
So next time you see me, embrace the new old me. Know I don't really care about it so much in the scheme of things, but it is kind of out-of-body experience at some level. Because my insides have NOT changed. My sense of humor is still every bit of 10-years-old as Sarah's. I still feel what I did when I was 17. I still think I'm cool. (I might be wrong, but I still think it.)
7 comments:
Don read the last paragraph and said I sound like MY MOTHER!!!
I don't know about the sounding like your mom part, but I think you're cool!
We will see each other shortly, and undoubtedly hug each other and realize that we've BOTH aged!
Frankly, I think the best way to feel old is to look at your child and realize that THEY'RE older! When did my baby grow up? (at least physically!)
I think I've aged a decade just in the last month between Bri..and some recent changes shall we say...and the whole bat mitzvah, job search, Girl Scout leader, religious school teacher gig all rolled into one. I think I'm seeing wrinkles upon wrinkles!
Yeah... the turning into a preteen thing is a whole 'nother blog post... sometimes it's like totally a foreign object down the hall der...
I've been thinking about the same things lately. No gray hair yet but starting to get wrinkles around my eyes, and I've been in touch with a lot of the kids I taught in Atlanta who are now in their mid-to-late 20's, which means that I'm not in my early 20s anymore, even though I think I am. $@*!&
So sorry, girls. The biggest surprises are yet to come!!!
I still fight the temptation to look over my shoulder for my dad or grandpa when someone calls me Mr. Kessler.
Yeah... I know. At least you don't get the mammogram letters (do you?!)
Post a Comment