REALLY, I'M NOT OBSESSED...

... with the number 50. Honest. I know it would appear that way. It seems like every other post I write has something to do with my (okay, I just can't get over it) age. You'll see, when it happens to you. I wish I could explain it but I really, truly, can't.

But this is what I found myself thinking recently...

When I was younger, so much younger than today (what song is that from, Jeff?) I looked at women my age a whole lot differently than I do now. When I got married at 19, my mother and some of her close friends had a bridal shower for me. The topic of conversation at one point during the afternoon threw me for a loop. And I swear, I'll never forget this for a couple of reasons; One, I thought it was entirely inappropriate being that I was in the state of impending betrowal (is that a word?) or betrothal-whatever. And secondly, well, you'll understand when I tell you...

There I was, surrounded by aboot 10 50-ish women. They were "clueing me in" on how to find excuses for getting around having sex with my husband. Really. It was like walking into a bad episode of the Golden Girls (of course it would have had to have been during the season that Blanche was absent, touring with the Rolling Stones). One woman confessed (proudly) that she would "do her nails" at bedtime and use the excuse that her nail polish was still tacky. Another used her period (sorry, crude!) for an excuse and thought her husband wasn't smart enough to notice that it happened several times a month. I'm guessing he caught on early on and didn't question her because, well, what would have been the use??? I went away from that shower with a very definite resolve that I would never make up excuses not to be intimate with my husband. WTF?

I got off the subject. What I want to impart is how I saw "50" then, as opposed to how I see it today. When I was 20, 50 was this- and I'm not including women I knew well like my mom. I pictured women that age as, literally, over-the-hill. Most of their lives were spent. They were pretty much done raising families and spent their days watching soap operas and having their hair done (in an effort, of course, to impress their friends-certainly not men or anything). They probly bowled on Saturday nights for kicks but were home in bed by 11 to get up Sunday morning for church/gossip session with all the other old biddies. They grocery- shopped in polyester pants, sneakers and windbreakers. They were addicted to coffee and Pepsi and never drank or danced except at weddings. They read romance novels by the score and couldn't tell you the difference between global economy and a Tupperware catalog. I guess my point here is that the image I had of women my age back then didn't exactly prepare me for all the great stuff that I'm experiencing now. Yeah, I realize that times have changed. But I also know a shitload of 50-year old women NOW who still act like those women I just described. It stupifies me.

Well, whatever. I just feel fortunate not to be in the mindset that would make me satisfied with that. My life is not what you would call exciting by any means, but I would not ever settle for a life such as that. I hope I'm not sounding judgemental or like I'm better than that. It just makes me sad that people don't make an effort to be more than they are. 'Course one must walk in another's shoes to fully understand that person.

I'm going to bed now. Say "Good night, Linda."

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Isn't it Annoying?...

187. That it's no longer acceptable for sailors to skip down the street whistling show tunes.