None of us is getting any younger, right? This week, Janine and Shannon discuss this natural process and letting go of perfectionistic feelings about how we should look or feel or function as we age.
Discussion topics include:
- Why this week in particular we’re feeling our age
- How old are we, anyway?
- Shannon’s reluctance to get hearing aids, even though her need for them has nothing to do with aging
- Trying to accept the normal effects of aging, particularly changing bodies
- How we’re socialized to care so much about looking young
- Shannon’s fear of being dismissed because of her age (and the resulting desire to look younger than she is)
- Being open and public about our ages
- Shannon’s upcoming ankle surgery
- Dealing with our less-than-stellar ability to remember things
- Cutting ourselves slack for changes we can’t control
- Being as kind to ourselves as we are to others when it comes to aging (and everything else)
Links:
- Story about Bill Clinton’s hearing aids (which he got at age 51)
I can relate to the ankle problems. I have broken my ankle, once a fracture and once a break that the last thing I remember as they were giving me anesthesia to fix it, I heard the best orthopedic surgeon in Kansas City say, “Well, I’ve never seen THAT happen before.” Not the most comforting thing to hear as you’re going under the knife.
I probably should get my hearing tested, but I keep dragging my feet.
One thing about getting older. It used to be that I could convince myself when I would be outside that my hair was still blond. However, every time I went to get it cut and hairs would fall onto my dark blue cape, I couldn’t deny that a lot of them were grey. I have finally come to embrace the change on my noggin. I can’t wait for it to turn completely silver.
And women don’t become irrelevant as they age. They are just made to feel “invisible.”