When do you become that person?
I saw my mum today when I dropped my eldest son off to stay for a couple of days. She's a real talker so told me all her news since we met last and in her tales was something that made me smile. She and her friend had gone to Norwich for the day on the anniversary of my dads death as a way for her to try and have a positive focus. Anyway she was full of how lovely it was and she then went and described how she met this lovely couple of old dears (her words not mine) Her friend Eddie is a great one for meeting people so struck up a conversation while they waited for the bus. This couple and my mum were all wanting to use the toilet but the park and ride had closed theirs because of cutbacks so they distracted themselves by sharing stories and the couple told my mum and Eddie all how they met and fell in love and Eddie explained why they were having a day out and how happy he was with my mum. Any way when they arrived in the city my mum and this lady went to the toilet, and she gave mum a knowing look and reassured my mum at her age no one would expect her to get re married. My mum told me this and said "but you know what old dears are like darling" To which I replied "mum your probably an old dear now you know" to which she laughed. Now I have to say my mum is over 75 now and she would hate me saying that but sorry mum I need the age to illustrate my point, but she is not what many people would think of as an old aged pensioner, sure she has the desirable bus pass and free tv licence, the winter fuel payment and weekly pension. However she still goes to the beauty parlour for facials and treatments (getting her head boiled my dad used to call it). Not for her the wash and set, she has a funky colour and choppy style, her clothes are not from Bon marche but White Stuff, her jeans are designer most definitely not elasticated and she would never go anywhere without her make up on. But if you look at her birth certificate she would definitely be an old dear, she had passed her golden stripes in marriage has children and grandchildren but just decided she is as young as she feels not how society expects. This labelling of age defining who you are is often a great barrier in a society which does appear to de value people as they approach the latter years, surely all being older means is you may be more cynical but wiser and perhaps want to take a bit more time than you do in the rushes of youth. My mother in law is younger than my mum but you would not know it, she has almost raced towards the negative impacts of age, always wanting to talk about prescriptions, enjoying endless trips round town, washing and setting her hair on pensioner day at the salon and making sure she is a grumpy as she possibly can be.
Me, I want to be like my mum, not being defined by age or labels, flirting and giggling and still appreciating the value of looking sexy and glamourous, and as I get a little bit closer each day to that defi ing age of forty I have decided who cares, I am not going to be old dear I plan to be a MILF in my forties and GILF in my fifites and beyond, and Mum if you read this don't look up what they mean it will make you blush!