The vain, the vibrant and the vaccinated
I HEAR the distant sounds of delight: shops opening up to revive the economy. After many months of lockdown, I have had enough of clicking “Add to Cart” and long to prowl brick and mortar shops once again. May all the stores reopen with happy, fully vaccinated customers thronging their floors again.
Shopping in the physical world is a joy trigger. Which is why the idea that in old age one might find the world insipid and dull seems incongruous to me. My appetite for pretty things has not waned one bit. Of course, other preoccupations of 60-pluses also help to prevent us from disintegrating. For me, though, it is shopping that is a major morale booster.
Another one, believe it or not, is getting old: According to a recent survey conducted by scientists Down Under, the level of self-esteem increases with age and peaks at 60. No wonder I can now look at those age-spots without flinching. Up until my 50s, I was pretty unsure and vulnerable, my self-acceptance always vacillating.
I will admit to still polishing, pampering and preening myself to a glowing sheen because I believe that when one’s facade is good, one becomes confident, and self-confidence makes a woman beautiful.
I enjoy putting on make-up – thanks to my mother who instilled in me when I was young the importance of grooming. I still have a keen interest in the delightful rigmarole of feminine maintenance. The idea is to enhance ourselves and to put our best foot forward.
Dressing in a way that reflects our personal style, does wonders for our self-esteem too. Add elegance and poise, and the result is fabulous femininity!
Yes, vanity is a powerful joy dispenser. I judiciously watch my weight, allowing myself a 1kg fluctuation for the celebratory meal, vacations, and irresistible dishes cooked by SP. In my household, everyone pays homage to the weighing machine almost daily, and especially when we feel overfed.
Yes, OK Boomers, growing older is not without its challenges, but we know the grim alternative. So we need to embrace reality, which makes for an authentic, resilient lifestyle.
Sure, I have made my share of blunders – falling into flights of folly with my peace turned upside down.
But obstacles are a part of living. If we’re honest, most of us have swum through turbulent waters before reaching the shores of seniorhood.
However, don’t let the pain of an imperfect past smother your soul because every challenging event you have encountered has helped to build you into the person you now are. Regrets are just building blocks as long as you learn from your mistakes and become a better person.
I can now look back with triumph on the hurdles I have overcome. There is even a flicker of amusement when I reflect on how age has mellowed me. Through the deepest valleys I have overcome, and those are the times in which I built my strength for the days ahead.
October is my birthday month and there will be some kind of razzmatazz in my small household as we celebrate with post-vaccination joy. At my age, I’m allowed a little madness without alarming the neighbourhood. As American novelist and poet Charles Bukowski put it, “Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.”
Interestingly, people expect me to age gracefully but I will disillusion them. Growing old “disgracefully” is more fun and less restrictive. It gives latitude for spontaneity.
I used to become embroiled in off-kilter moments of pure joy, and while I’m more sober now, embers of madcap moments still remain. Being an oddball occasionally is the price of retaining an undiminished childlike sense of wonder and an optimism for what each day might bring.
My knees ache from walking about, but there’s joy in my feet, a flush on my face, and grace in my gait. Women of a certain age go for substance and style over seduction and titillation. We do not wince at wrinkles because they are the marks of experience that allow our best selves to shine through. We grow into our gifts, talents and strengths. We earn our stripes.
Legendary American poet Maya Angelou, whom I much admire, had a flinty attitude towards life’s challenges. She wrote, “Life doesn’t frighten me at all. Not at all.”
Likewise, age has shushed the fears for me. I am much enthused by what lies ahead. See, that’s the way to deal with ageing, to laugh it into perspective. And for this, I am grateful for the wonderful company I have at home as they provide me with homespun humour every day to keep age pangs at bay.
We all have moments of grace to number our days. I remind myself to raise the joy of others, and practise self-care and sanity. And if I should have decades more to go, may I live passionately and courageously, and with wisdom and quiet confidence.