Tuesday, November 22, 2005

I'm not older, I'm just more experienced

Oh my, the twists and turns. I went up to the local community college yesterday to inquire about counseling (I want to find out how to get accepted into an impacted art department). I have attended on and off forever, so it's not as if there has been a hiatus, although I do possess an Associate Degree from this same school that I received in (too bad you can't mumble on a blog), uh, 1982. There, I said it. It's so funny how all the cliches about aging are just screaming at me loud and clear. All those warnings I heard about "time just flies by" are so damned true, aren't they? My God. I mean, I'm basically the same person I was 20 years ago, or 25 even...I'm just a bit more seasoned. Anyway, I walk into the counseling center, and I'm looking at all the names on the doors trying to remember who it was I had spoken with previously. The lady at the desk (she was middle-aged, so you can't chalk this off to snotty teenager) inquired if I needed help, and I asked if the staff had changed as I was trying to find who I had seen last, and none of the names looked familiar. Her response? "Oh, probably retired". Okay, let that settle in for a second, and let your blood boil up like hot soup like mine did. Of course, I have never had the gift of quick response, so I just sort-of stared in some sort of lost shock. Granted, I'm no longer 18, but I have good genes, and look 10 to 15 years younger than I actually am...so I never really think about being older. At least it's better than a co-worker who went out on stress leave and by some miracle returned to work with new boobs. How odd that so many people thought it was a waste since she's over 40--like life is about over or something, so why look good? Anyway, another co-worker and supposedly a "friend" of that transformed girl told her, "you do all these things to your body, but why?...when your face looks like a melted candle?". Whoa. Cue sound of breaking glass. Or rim shot. Something.

4 Comments:

Blogger Claudia said...

More experienced. It's so true!
Youth is somehow overvalued.
Yes, it's nice to have smooth skin but our wrinkles tell stories of our lifes, that adds to our charisma ;-)
It's nice to make experiences for the first time, but that doesn't stop when you're not considered a teenager anymore.
Maybe that's what it's all about. We can learn our whole life through, and we should never stop. There is a simple way to prevent that kind of resignation or regretfulness when looking back at the last 10 or 20 years (or just the year that has passed): Just remember the many things you have done in that time, what you learned, which experiences you have made. I guess that's something we should add to the "count your blessings" list. And never stop making new experiences, either big ones or small ones. Make every day special by allowing yourself some extra time and/or a special treat (light a candle, burn incense, craft something, take a picture, watch a butterfly...). Every day.

That's what keeps us young.
And I guess that's what you already do, so don't you worry :-)

Oh: And never mind what other people say about aging!
(Does that mean I'm just about to contradict myself? LOL)
It's your own feeling that counts.

10:24 PM  
Blogger Grangry said...

During a discussion about local food outlets at work one day, I happened to mention that I'd been into a local cafe called Isobel's while I was out shopping and had a meal that took me right back to the days of school dinners. My young boss said 'Oh yes. The GRANNY GRAVY COUNTER!'

11:51 PM  
Blogger The Calico Cat said...

Ya know I went to Europe as an early twenty something.... I want to go back with adult eyes!

So - did you talk to a counsellor? AND....

(Outside of So.Cal. we think everyone has had "enhancements" BTW)

6:54 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I tell people I'm only 18...with experience. Even though I am older than a baby boomer.

2:02 PM  

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