Letters to the Editor
-
"It's unfortunate that any of us have to age" -- WHY?
Wow. I feel so fortunate in comparison to LW, and most of the posters here.
I decided years ago to think with my brain and not other parts of my body. And you know what my brain told me?
1. We're all going to age.
2. We're all going to die.
3. Aging and dying are natural. They are part of who we are.
4. If we didn't age and die, life would be completely without meaning.
5. The odds against any single one of us being born are astronomical. Incalculable. So why get depresssed because this incredible gift doesn't last forever?
That said ... of course we are all conflicted about aging, especially women, because that's what our society and culture drums into us about 1,000,000 times a day. We don't live in vacuums.
But if you look closely at what's happening, your BRAIN will ask the question: CUI BONO? Who's benefiting from making human beings feel crappy because they're following a natural path?
Well, plastic surgeons, fitness club entrepreneurs, cosmetic companies ... you can come up with others, I'm sure.
And no, I'm not saying nobody should ever have plastic surgery or that getting in shape is a terrible idea or that no one should ever wear makeup.
I am saying that if you feel so bad about who you are that you obsess about your face/body/makeup/clothes on a daily basis, you are surrendering to cultural expectations and not listening to YOUR BRAIN.
So start listening.
Once you have let go of these wasteful assumptions about looks and aging, and rediscovered the beauties of life that lie underneath the surface, start spreading the word. Tell the people in your life that you appreciate and love them for qualities that go beyond looks.
And don't listen to the sexist jerks (some of whom regularly post on salon.com, alas) who try to reinforce the nonsense that you have to fight aging because you're a woman. They can't help it, really -- they're trapped just like you are in cultural assumptions. But you can rise above that. Just remember to keep thinking.
Here's a radical thought: YOU DESERVE TO ENJOY EVERY SINGLE PRECIOUS MINUTE OF YOUR LIFE. Why would you want to live any other way?