You Are Never Ever Ever Too Old
I don't often watch the show "America's Got Talent" but I am truly glad I did so today. I was floored by an African American woman who sang with the passion of a 21 year old who is 62. Not only did I get inspired by her I thought about the fact that she and I are the same age and that like her I could have as many new beginnings as a I deem it and as I dream it. She is an example of the fact that we are never too old and that yes: "age is just a number". She looked great and she rocked the song but more than anything she sent a message to the world and to people her age that it is not over until we decide that it is.
I admire women because they are the ones who will rock a dress and heels at 60, 70 and even at 80. In New York a photographer who focused on older women uncovered the beauty that I know is ageless and that many dismiss. As a result a few of the women have been featured in ads and one recently shot a commercial about fashion for Marshall's a designer discount store. Women of today are even more attuned to the fact that beauty does not have an age and that there is not an age limit on strutting their stuff. More people today get it and getting it means that age no longer should matter.
Very early on in my life I have been mistaken for someone who is about ten years younger. When I was 32 people guessed me at 22, When I turned 42 they thought I was 32 and now at 62 people say I look like I am 52. Many people ask me what my secret is to staying young and although I do take care of myself and stay pretty active and exercise I believe that I look younger because I refuse to be "old" and I do not believe that anyone is old. What I believe is that we become wiser and more seasoned and that nothing should stop us from looking great, wearing what we want and doing what we like. That is the secret.
We are still in a world where we limit roles and shelf some actresses when they are of a certain age yet we don't do the same with male actors. We have a long way to go when it comes to aging and the many fears and limitations that we attach to age. Yet over and again people have proved otherwise and have brought us to tears and to a knowing that age is not the deciding factor. In fact we are seeing more and more that people who are older than before are living their dreams and not allowing the myths about aging to limit them.
One of my favorite stories about age is when the singer Susan Boyle got on stage on American Idol and blew people's minds, especially Simon who is one of the judges. Susan Boyle not only demonstrated to the world that we don't have an expiration date she showed the world that a singer does not always have to look like Beyoncé or Linda Eder. She and many other people of today are going to change the way we look at aging.
What we must begin to understand is that at any age we matter and that no matter what our age we are first the spiritual person inside and are as young as we live to be. We have some growth in this area and part of it has to do with how much we value youth and devalue people who are elderly. What we fail to understand is that people have something to offer no matter how old. It is time to see the talents and the worth of every person at every age. When we can embrace age fully we will experience a deeper kind of appreciation for life. I will end this with a quote from the movie "Mermaids" with Cher. In one scene Cher puts on a tight pink dress and asks her daughter what she thinks to which her daughter responds with: "don't you think you're a little too old"? Without skipping a beat Cher responds: "Don't be silly Charlotte, a woman is never to old".
I admire women because they are the ones who will rock a dress and heels at 60, 70 and even at 80. In New York a photographer who focused on older women uncovered the beauty that I know is ageless and that many dismiss. As a result a few of the women have been featured in ads and one recently shot a commercial about fashion for Marshall's a designer discount store. Women of today are even more attuned to the fact that beauty does not have an age and that there is not an age limit on strutting their stuff. More people today get it and getting it means that age no longer should matter.
Very early on in my life I have been mistaken for someone who is about ten years younger. When I was 32 people guessed me at 22, When I turned 42 they thought I was 32 and now at 62 people say I look like I am 52. Many people ask me what my secret is to staying young and although I do take care of myself and stay pretty active and exercise I believe that I look younger because I refuse to be "old" and I do not believe that anyone is old. What I believe is that we become wiser and more seasoned and that nothing should stop us from looking great, wearing what we want and doing what we like. That is the secret.
We are still in a world where we limit roles and shelf some actresses when they are of a certain age yet we don't do the same with male actors. We have a long way to go when it comes to aging and the many fears and limitations that we attach to age. Yet over and again people have proved otherwise and have brought us to tears and to a knowing that age is not the deciding factor. In fact we are seeing more and more that people who are older than before are living their dreams and not allowing the myths about aging to limit them.
One of my favorite stories about age is when the singer Susan Boyle got on stage on American Idol and blew people's minds, especially Simon who is one of the judges. Susan Boyle not only demonstrated to the world that we don't have an expiration date she showed the world that a singer does not always have to look like Beyoncé or Linda Eder. She and many other people of today are going to change the way we look at aging.
What we must begin to understand is that at any age we matter and that no matter what our age we are first the spiritual person inside and are as young as we live to be. We have some growth in this area and part of it has to do with how much we value youth and devalue people who are elderly. What we fail to understand is that people have something to offer no matter how old. It is time to see the talents and the worth of every person at every age. When we can embrace age fully we will experience a deeper kind of appreciation for life. I will end this with a quote from the movie "Mermaids" with Cher. In one scene Cher puts on a tight pink dress and asks her daughter what she thinks to which her daughter responds with: "don't you think you're a little too old"? Without skipping a beat Cher responds: "Don't be silly Charlotte, a woman is never to old".
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