I told a professional colleague I was blogging my way to 50. "I'm capturing my feelings, my thoughts, my ups, my downs," I said to her. "Really," she sounded surprised. "I didn't know you were turning 50, you don't look like you are almost 50, you don't look a day over forty-something." I always liked this colleague, and after reading her email message...I liked her even more...and now...maybe I'll make her one of my good friends.
Do I look like I'm turning 50...I wondered...how does one look when she is turning 50? How do you define one's age in terms of appearance...what is it about a woman that makes her look 49 or 50...what are those visible signs of aging?
- Is it our hands? (No hand modeling for me, not with those wrinkles and veins showing through...my aging hands are a sure sign I'm approaching 50. No wonder I need to constantly cream them with my Bath & Body Works hand cream.)
- Is it our face? (Can't hide those laugh lines anymore or the ones on my forehead...must count and see if there are 50 of them on my face...maybe there are only 40 lines...maybe that's why my colleague - soon to be good friend - doesn't think I'm turning 50. Sometimes I stand in front of the mirror and pull the skin on my forehead to see how I would look if I had a facelift...not that I'm having a facelift...but I pull it anyway.)
- Is it our eyes or those dark circles under our eyes? (Too many dark circles under my eyes lately...just not getting enough sleep...I am forever buying all those under-eye creams to make my eyes more sparkly...not sure if they are working...but maybe they are working...especially if my colleague - absolutely going to be good friend -thinks I look more like 40 than 50 - I use the Olay Regenerist Total Effects Eye Transforming Cream...it says "it gives a radiant glow and fights 7 signs of aging all-around the eye area"...not believing this is really true I also add some Neutrogena concealer just to make sure...no wonder I look more like 40 than 50.)
- Is it our teeth...the stained teeth that say we're almost 50? (I don't like my yellow stained teeth...even if I am into my colors...I'd rather have white teeth...and I don't like my receding gum lines either...I cannot smile the way I used to.....but maybe..maybe they are not as dark as a 50 year old's teeth...my sister had her teeth whitened at 50...maybe that's why she looks younger than me...I have to look into whitening my teeth so I can keep my 40 year old appearance...and must finally fix the cap on my front tooth...yes, it is an imperative if I want to properly whiten my teeth...don't want my colleague - soon to be absolutely, positively inner circle friend - to eventually say, "Judi, I can tell by your teeth that you are now officially looking like the big 5-0."
- Is it our neck...as Nora Ephron writes in her recent book "I Feel Bad About My Neck?" (My neck is out there for all to see all the time...as visible as my face... does it look like a chicken or rooster neck yet...should I wear turtlenecks as Nora says...I do prefer cowl necks...not a fan of turtlenecks...never was and never will be...but with cowls a bit of neck always shows through...will have to find out what exercises I can do to maintain my 40 year old looking neck.)
- Is it our feet that give away our age? (There are calluses on the bottom of my feet and a little one on my pinky toe...I did just get a pedicure... I like the way my feet look...even if they don't fit into heels anymore...I think I can keep my feet looking forty-something...I'll try some more foot creams and I'll treat myself to more pedicures more often...I promise dear colleague and soon to be inner circle friend...I'm writing my next appointment on the calendar right now...well...maybe tomorrow...or next week...okay, I promise I'm going to have pedicures more than twice a year.)
It's not easy trying to maintain my forty-something appearance when I'm almost 50...but who cares...as the famous saying goes...beauty is in the eye of the beholder...think I'll call my professional colleague...soon to be good friend...and see what she thinks.
Judi
6 comments:
Judi, That's a good one! Funny timing - just yesterday I was stretching the marionette laugh lines from my 40-year-old nose to my 40-year-old mouth, wondering how dangerous Botox really is... not that I'd ever be able to afford it. :) While I'd really rather have a smooth face without deep crevices, I am glad that I have laughed so much over the past four decades that it shows. With your upbeat personality, I suspect you'll need to keep using your creams to keep those lines at bay. :) And enjoy your new BFF - just remember what all that giggling together is going to do to your skin!!!!!!! Another friend who doesn't think you look nearly 5-0, L
That was hysterical! I spend a lot of time staring at my face in the mirror looking for the changes that I can still do something about. There is that telling loss of elasticity that says my skin is 49 even though everyone says I don't look my age.
Good thing they can't see my tits!
I met a famous Hollywood screenwriter who made her name many years ago with a single hit film. The thing is, if you do the math, she is somewhere in her 60s and her face was clearly plastic surgeried somewhere along the way. But the giveaway were her hands! They were the hands of a 60-something. Perhaps it's better to just accept our age.
Judi,
I enjoyed your accounts of the many changes our bodies take on in our advancing years. I got alot of chuckles. I have been there..I am very close to turning 60 (57 in August). It is funny how on the inside I don't feel a day over 29 but on the outside it is a whole different story...LOL
I will be following up on your accounts to 50.
Judy
Hello Judi,
I enjoyed reading your blog. I am doing the same thing. I turn 50 on April 22, 2008. I was wondering if you have heard about our Baby Boomer Diva Group. Beverly Mahone is the orignator. You can just search her name and the website will come up. Check us out!!!
Here is my info: www.healthywomencafe.biz
I have not posted one thing yet. I am working on some stuff to post today.
Warm Regards,
Tally Green
i think it's depressing that you haven't one positive thing to say about the way you look.
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