Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Shock and awe.......


 “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”
Douglas Adams



As a woman who is aging to perfection, steeped in the wine of time, I am still often shocked--well after I thought there was nothing left to rattle me--as well as in awe of the vagaries of the human race. Some things I know.......

  • New jeans with holes up and down the legs, hanging on the rack in the department store, must be an attempt to make us look mindless. 
  • When we were 16, a boy who was even 5 years older was taboo. That chasm was huge and not to be crossed on penalty of irate parents, scandalized neighbors, and the law. By the time we were 25, those 5 years had shrunk and they no longer made much difference. In fact, they added a bit of texture to a relationship. But I bet you didn't know that the same 5 years stretch again at the other end of the age spectrum, causing all kinds of mischief for us in our 60s, 70s, and older. Take my word for it.....it isn't pretty. Because.......
  •   ....men of all ages want younger women. They just do. The problem is that those men hanging onto the right end of the timeline have difficulty keeping up with a woman younger than they are. In many important ways. And men younger than that same woman aren't interested, because--remember?--they want someone younger, too. Where does that leave me? I'll tell you where: women of a certain age who want a full, true relationship are stranded on that timeline, searching both ends of the spectrum. Alone. 
  • Which leads me to this: I should have protected, nurtured, and cherished some of my earlier relationships so I wouldn't be stuck on this darn timeline at all.
  • You can enjoy gospel or religious music without believing a word of it. There's just something joyous about it, isn't there?
  •  I refuse to listen to any song that has the word "chainsaw" in it. It's just not right.
  •  Why do many men refrain from using poor grammar until AFTER you've become invested as a couple? Maybe it's a sign they are truly comfortable with us, their new love. I could stand a little less comfort. Please.
  •  When a man agrees in advance to "talk about things that bother us" as you launch a new relationship, his mouth is merely moving.

That's what I know.....at least for now!

3 comments:

  1. As a musician, I have seen a lot of them come & go...some have a meteoric rise to fame, only to be gone while they are still in the 'prime of their lives'; others last a long time...this is true in the Jazz world, where the older musicians are more accepted by the general audience. One of the main common denominators is drug usage (including alcohol & cigarettes). Some of the guys seem to be involved in many relationships, often at the same time; others are more monogamy-oriented...that, too might be a drug thing. Drug usage might just be another symptom (I think so) rather than a cause creating those effects. That is one thing; here's another: too many beautiful young women are attached to the fad of being tattoo'ed &/or filled with piercings or spiked hair...it certainly doesn't turn me on, nor do I think will it exactly excite a lot of other of us 'older' guys.
    BTW: When I turned 70, my sister sent me a memorable card: It said, 'Don't think of it as 70 (a big number), rather, think of it as 7 perfect-10's!'

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  2. I did have another couple of thoughts: I like the concept of the 'cougars'...any guy who missed out on them, has missed a great experience...these women mean business! Secondly: On birthdays: ...celebrate the hell out of them! You deserve it! It isn't about the aging...it's about the party! (You can even celebrate 1/2 birthdays...any excuse for a great party!)

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  3. Thanks, Reddy! I appreciate you reading and commenting!

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