I have this theory that Gen Xers don't really have an age issue. We don't worry so much about getting old - we're more worried about not being cool.For instance, my husband and I watch this old guy at our church who is an usher. He looks about 150 years old. Each Sunday, he shows up in a suit and shakes hands with the people he knows. We call him "Liquid Cool" (not sure why - my husband made it up and it seemed to fit). Anyway, we always joke that the people Liquid Cool shakes hands with were those who attended his party the night before. We imagine Liquid Cool handing out martinis and cigars to all the other cool people at church. Then one Sunday, Liquid Cool shook my husband's hand. It was nirvana.
The point here is that we want to be like Liquid Cool when we're old. We don't want to try to stay 25-years old. We want to own our wrinkles and be old.
I think the Silent Generation is like this. But the Boomers are another story. I just read this post called 5 Reasons Boomers are Not Seniors. I couldn't help but think - why get so upset? It's not like they're calling you a slacker.
So I'm wondering how you feel about aging. Fight it or own it?
5 comments:
I'll admit that I have trouble aging, but not because I'm an Xer, it's because I'm a little vain. I spent my whole youth feeling ugly as hell, so when I finally started to feel pretty in my twenties...well, I don't want to let go of it, and I'm a little paranoid about crow's feet and my eyelids looking droopy.
However, I very much look forward to this new stage in my life for other reasons. I am stronger, wiser, smarter. More confident (despite my vanity).
My mother (who is one of the oldest Boomers) always said 40 was her favorite age, because us kids were old enough to not need her constant supervision, but "my body hadn't started falling apart yet."
By the way, I hate the expressions like, "60 is the new 40" or whatever, because who the hell needs that kind of pressure?
OWN IT for sure! In fact I’m ok with not being cool, cool that is to younger generations.
I so agree with you on this. I'm all about being 40. I'm not doing the Botox; not having surgery. I'm surrendering MY youth so my daughter can be young and beautiful. I don't want to look like her big sister. What's so amazing is that my entire career I've been chastised for my youth only to open up magazine articles now and find that they are referring to 40 year old women as "Older Ladies." I'm like, "Huh?"
Fight aging with sunscreen and working out. Look at GenXer Carrot Top! He's a complete disaster since having his face bizzarely rearranged.
Hi thanks for postingg this
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