First, let me say I am 59 and proud of my age. I am not anti-aging, I am PRO-aging! But when I say “pro-aging” I mean all the positives that come with age — peace, wisdom, faith, calmness, trust, and true happiness. It’s a fact that we will all grow older, so why not embrace it?
Some of us choose to look — and feel — better with healthy eating, exercise, and meditation (me), while others might go the Botox route (not me, but that’s fine if you’re into it). Some of us like to be silly and act immature (me), while others appear younger by keeping up with the latest styles. And nothing is wrong with any of that as long as you are happy with where you are at in life and not chasing after your past like Gloria Swanson in “Sunset Boulevard”.
However, there are three things that I strongly feel make a middle-aged woman seem much older — and stuffier!
- Assuming Young People Don’t Know What Vinyl Is. FACT: Rising stars are putting out vinyl left and right. And their young followers are purchasing it. But this isn’t something new. I’ve been buying vinyl ever since I’ve had an allowance and never stopped. And as I got older, I continued to see younger people in record stores buying vinyl. Music will never die, and listening on vinyl is a great thing. That’s something universal that both younger and older generations can relate to. If you don’t want to appear stodgy, don’t make declarations like, “I bet she doesn’t know what a record player is.”
- Being Obsessed with Weight. Weight watching is so ’60s, so ’70s, so ’80s, and so ’90s. Since the ’00s, we’ve begun to see more and more BBW (Big Beautiful Women). And it started with a younger generation of women, knowing they look good just as they are. While obesity creates health problems, being curvy doesn’t. We’re seeing curvier models, curvier actresses, and curvier women in the streets. But many women in my age group and older have missed that memo. Some still over obsess about their own bodies — and the bodies of other women. And I’m not just talking about being a gym rat or a yoga person, I’m talking about people who fear food and still believe no one is good enough unless they are a size 0. I’ve heard of older women avoiding restaurants in order to stay at their goal weight. That is not healthy. We need to socialize. We need to celebrate. We need to be okay with not always being perfect. Even bodybuilders have their off days and cheat days. If a woman of a certain age is too preoccupied with food and weight, it might be a good idea to consider therapy (and I say this with sincerity). The most liberating thing about being alive in the 21st century is that we’re now a society filled with beautiful people of all weights, shapes, and sizes. Thinness obsession is a dated mindset and it is making you seem old granny-ish.
- Putting Down Other Women. Why do older women still do this? It’s an outdated concept that has to go. Young women don’t hurt, they support. I’ll never forget seeing a You Tube video of Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande fawning all over each other. They were both fans of each others music. It was absolutely adorable! We’ve come a long way from the Joan Crawford/Bettie Davis feuds. Or have we? Why can’t older women learn from the younger female generation. Why are older women so hesitant to give each other compliments? Why do older women still feel superior giving digs? In my humble opinion, being nasty ages a person. Do you really want to be known as an old bitch?
If you liked this blog, feel free to buy me a kombucha: https://ko-fi.com/maryannechristianomistretta
Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta can be reached at: maryannechristiano@gmail.com.
She is the author of the following books:
“Be (Extra)Ordinary: 10 Ways to Become Your Own Hero” is available on Amazon. To get your paperback or Kindle version, visit:Be (Extra)Ordinary
“I Don’t Want to Be Like You” is available on Amazon. To get your paperback, Kindle or audio copy, go here: I Don’t Want To Be Like You
Her fiction book “Love Cats” second printing is now available, under the pen name Krystianna Mercury, from Pink Flamingo. You can purchase it here: https://eroticbooknetwork.com/product/love-cats/
Maryanne is also available for book editing and coaching. Rates are competitive.
And for positive messages, visit Be YOUnique, the Anti-Bullying You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLq6J9MSvcjd-haQ30ycLWA/videos
Visit my business page, Pear Tree Enterprises, at: https://peartreeenterprises.wordpress.com/
Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta 