Reb Livingston has a great post up about poetics and schools and labels. It has nothing do with this post except for her crack about 'not desperately holding onto her her youth' and 'embracing her middle age'. I realized that I am, how shall I put this? Entering the indian summer (cough, cough) of my life when I read an article last April about Earth Day and it was subtitled the Middle Aged Movement. The first Earth Day took place five days after I was born. I know, I know. Shocking. Right?
____
OK so why would anyone embrace middle age? Make me feel better, talk to me. While you're at it tell me why Autumn is so special. Why do all of you love watching everything dry up and die? What am I missing here, people? Seriously, before I stairstep my way to an early grave.
8 comments:
Hi Suzanne, I think it's a form of nostalgia, enjoying autumn. Middle age I'm not sure about -- I frequently have to stop to recall how old I am, am surprised at how much younger I feel myself to be, and then forget how old I am again. That might be a kind of nostalgia, too. Or maybe it's just the encroaching diminishment of my old middle-aged mental faculties...
I meant to type "own," not "old," but the typo may be telling....
I love middle age. What it feels like to me is like I've finally settled into myself, like a pair of shoes that's finally broken in just right. (I don't mean physically - some of the physical stuff is less than thrilling - but more emotionally, psychically, even spiritually.)
I'm only 48, and may feel differently about middle age in ten years when the "oh f*ck I'm mortal, aren't I" kicks in a little harder... but for now, it feels good.
I hated being young--having no influence or power over my own life, worrying about what other people thought, having to deal with the parade of creeps (well, I still deal with that, but less than when I was in my 20s when I seemed to be a full-time target), I receive more respect, and on and on and on.
Every year I get older, I become wiser, gain more personal freedom and feel happier.
I'm not looking forward to a decline in health, but I'm hoping that's still many years from now (knocking on wood). Illness and physical weakness are pretty much the only drawbacks I see getting old. I hear menopause is no walk in the park, but that's temporary.
Autumn colors various, rich, multiple, experienced and yes, moving toward death but that's pretty much a daily walk no matter what season (not to be depressing.) Spring/summer always green green, though vivid, yes. All important, grasshopper. :-)
wv no kidding -- "bosill" a cousin of botox?
Hmm. I suspect that I've been middle aged for the past 18 years and have just now noticed. Ignorance really is bliss!
Pam, those botox ladies freak me out. Get thee behind me botox.
OTOH the autumn leaves are very pretty.
Thanks, Everyone!
Middle-aged is good because it's not old age. Which I can taste in the wind...
Now *that*, I believe, is the answer I was looking for! LMAO xo
Post a Comment