Ladies - question about aging

Your charm ...I'm just speechless.

The mirror, darling.

well I suppose that's the result of aging as well, perhaps if you had been speechless years ago you might not have the facial wrinkles you now sport so casually.

Snort.




But, nothing weirder than a young seeming older person plasticizing vigorously to ward off character lines.

But, think of all the wisdom and entertainment you would have missed! You'd be a mere shell of a man had it not been for me. My wrinkles are a loving badge - worn on MY FACE, no less - to our enduring relationship.

Oh, come on. There are a few weirder things.

Ok, sure. That was a figure of speech.

I guess that was a playful way of me telling you (is this passive aggression on my part or trying to disagree politely - can we get a ruling on this?) that there is nothing at all wrong with a man or woman who want to improve their appearance with surgery.

Hey, I'm a progenitor on this. I had a chin lift in my forties. I had lost scads of weight. In retrospect, not all so much weight, but my familial bulbous flab neck turned into tripartite dramatic to me rooster neck. This was slightly after we had marriage problems, seemingly resolved for another ten years.

This coincided with an older friend having a chin tuck, and me having, for a rare change, some money. Shall I mention my now ex was eleven years younger?

I'm sorry I did that, not least that rooster neck stuff resolves. Meantime, what we have is me getting over most of that vanity, and well I should, and ex getting more and more, erm, princely, a different person that I still know.

I still like him, but we've gone in opposite directions, which, if we'd been smart, we'd have understood to start with.

oh yeah I forgot, all your other wrinkles are really stretch marks.

I have a friend who was a model before going to university, and always walked proud. It's nearly fifty years now, christ, we've kept talking. I've told stories here on a2k of us, as two of the near no women in embryology class going for coffee - . and her having to stop to do her eyelashes. She has been a wonderful illustrator, mother, animal protector - and was one of the first few people who gave me a clue that art exists.

But - I worry about her re surgeries. She started out as a primo surgical illustrator, so she isn't, like I am not, all scared of surgery, well, most of the time.
I think she has stopped.

There was one more woman (in a class of a hundred plus, maybe even two hundred) whom I take in retrospect as maybe very orthodox? Alas, I only remember her first name.

Women, unfortunately, lose their singing voices earlier than men do. That is such an unhappy situation.

umm, enjoying this thread so much. Chai is wondering about aging. I think most of us ladies (or whatever we are) never thought we would, well, age. My best years were my 50s. I looked pretty good until about 65. I was never sick a day of my life, hardly, and took no medication until couple years ago. I've just been so active all my life, sports and stuff, and conscious of eating healthy. But, hey, age just happens, even if you give it a serious argument. I continue doing things I forget I can't do. Just pulled a bunch of weeds from the yard today, came in and swept and cleaned kitchen floor with trusty electric mop, and I've never been so damn hot, my face was purple and running sweat. Some had to do with this weird medication and hydroxy-bla-bla that we put on aging faces, but, really.

I asked my husband today as he came in from the garage, "What's wrong with your back?" and he said what he always says, "There's nothing wrong with my back, what do you mean? (He's ten years older than me.)

I just spent a fortune on my teeth, so did husband. I guess it was worth it. Well, we both love it, but....gee, the money.

I do like not working. I am free, and if I can't do something today, I have the rest of my life to get it done. I don't want to get up at any particular time, and I don't want to have to be anywhere any particular time. I like this. Chai, make sure you have good retirement. I don't know what I was thinking! But, husband has a pension.

Supppose if we had the money we'd get botoxed. Don't know, though. Older women with those faces. Gads, some look like old barbie dolls. Funny thing is, Chai, I feel the same in my mind as I did at age 16. Seem to even act the same, or try to. Actually, I don't get aging. Don't get it at all. Who has time to put up with it?
What's with the white hair? Yesterday my youngest son said he sells lots of bicycles to "cotton heads." Yeah, he meant white hair.

My husband is 82 and he just joined another chorus. They sing classical which he says is tough. The thing about him is his voice: It is very loud, when I talk on the phone with him it hurts. At 72 he sang with the Michigan World Chorus ( compete in England every year and they always win). His voice is still loud, today! But he looks dashing with the new beard and mustach.

Your comment that in your mind you are still 16 reminds us that age is how you feel about it. When the doctor told my 46 year old self that, hormonally, I was 25, I felt terrific. 25 seemed a good age to linger at.

I didn't notice an immediate change with menopause but changes came about two years later. Just last winter, I put on some weight and thought it was because I drove 140 miles a day, five days/week to get to work, so I was sitting and I dropped the 10 miles of walking/week that I had been doing faithfully for nearly two years. I now drive the distance three days/week and have partially restored the walking regime (now teach four classes, so the demand on my time is greater!) but am not finding the weight is coming off.

What has age done to me?
First of all I have stopped worrying about things which might come in the future.
Secondly I just try not to get irritated about things - my lifespan is too short for that.
I am starting to get grey hair - "the charm of the grey temples" - they say when it happens to men - so why not with women.
Glasses I have been using since I was 16.
My hearing is very good.
My teeth are in very good shape.
I have not gained weight the last 20 years.
I have started to work free lance teaching.
I can still take care of garden and house plus summercabin and large property.
I take no medicin of any kind.
I like yoga.
A few years ago a friend as a practical joke signed me up for belly dancing.
I started and I like it very much - but never ever dance without being fully
dressed.
Up til now I don´t mind aging.

Well, I have had surgery (hiya, Lash). It's because of weight loss, I was carrying around some not so nice extra folds. And, yes, the Army Corps of Engineers got in the act, so the girls (I hate that euphemism) are considerably higher, actually higher than they were when I was 18. I am currently 48 years old.

True story. I work with a buncha 20 something year olds. We were at an event in Providence and there was a lull, so we gave Pippin a birthday card (he and I are 25 years and one day apart).

How old are ya today, Pip?

23, he says.

Me, I'll be 48.

What?? Says Merry. You totally do not look it. I woulda guessed no older than 30, maybe 35.

I thank him.

Then Frodo's girlfriend says, Oh, you're my Dad's age.

Yes, Merry, says, we already established that. Except I said it nicer.

This made me laugh. It's all good and I don't care. I realize that I get the 35 crack because (a) I lost weight and (b) I color my hair. If I didn't color it, it would probably be getting close to this:

I don't go full grey because I still have brown going on in the back, so I'd be more Bride of Frankenstein. Give me a few more years for the brown to go away, then I'll embrace my inner Meryl, I think.

Merry sounds very cool.

1. I had a family member go through a similar experience. It onset mysteriously, and just as mysteriously waned.
2. I recently discovered "un-oaked" white wine. This eliminates an unpleasant allergic reaction.

Oh, snap!

God bless you and your progeny!