Aging Is Not What I Want It To Be…WAAAHHHHHH!!!

A letter from a WOMENSPEAK reader:

I was talking to my brother-in-law Charlie about aging. Charlie and I happen to have birthdays two days apart but he is nine years older than I am. We each have our own perspective on the subject and he shares my qualms about getting older and not being as physically agile and attractive as we used to be. He reflected on wishing he were my age and he shared that his father who is 90+ years said he would like to be 80 again. It seems we are all yearning for a smaller number as we grow older. We look back with nostalgia at someone who is at the number we once shared.

My own mother is in her 80s but will not admit it. Each year she has what Alice In Wonderland calls an “un-birthday.” I might try this approach for my coming birthday and the many that I will continue to have (yes, I do want to live forever).

Hasn`t this been an interesting year? I just heard that Opra h y is turning 50, and I am sad we have lost Mr. Rogers. Why can`t we “have our cake and eat it too?” Well, I have decided that this year I will face my aging with a pro-active approach.

As a Baby-Boomer, I will take advantage of all that health and beauty care professionals have developed for us. I am on the new South Beach Diet. I have recently been Botoxed. Did you know they charge by the unit (the professionals call it “a shot”)? I had so many I quit counting and only knew the number when I handed them my credit card. I could hardly believe I was handing someone my MasterCard for Botox !

I now know what others have known for years: you can eat right (I have), exercise daily (I have) and do marathons (I have), ride your butt off (I have), and take a lot of vitamins (I have) –– and you know what? You will still look older.
I don`t think it is fair at all, do you? Inside my 50-something body is a young, vibrant woman who is still ready to conquer the world, to seek out all the …. adventure I can find.

Am I am alone with these thoughts?
~A 50-something reader

Dr. Nancy replies :

No, 50-something, you`re not alone. I have gathered information from more than a thousand women. One of the most important findings of my research is that nearly 50% of women are afraid of getting older. To put that in perspective, around 30% say health is their greatest concern and less than 5% worry about dying. Other researchers have found that women are afraid they will become “invisible” as they get older. Well, I am here to tell you that this woman is not going to let herself become invisible to others, and I hope you won`t allow it, either.
OK reader. Let`s be honest. How do you feel about getting older? If you have not yet completed the survey on Women and Aging, click on the Speak Up button, and do it now. You will join more than 1,000 other women who have done just that.

It does not take long, and I think you will find the survey interesting. Also, please e-mail your thoughts to me about what our 50-something reader said. I will share your ideas with our fellow women on this same path of life.

Let us never give up the good fight to becoming great, beautiful, damn smart, “KICK-ASS WOMEN.” I apologize now for my language but I wanted to get my point across!

~Dr. Nancy