Reality-Smack Between the Eyes
This will be short and to the point. Yesterday I came face to face, literally, with how I appear to others these days. Not friends or family or even co-workers who are either not completely objective or don't want to offend in any way, but by someone completely and totally with out alterior motives...a bus driver asking a simple question. Just a little look back before the question however:
When I was in my early to mid twenties, and walking around the neighborhood with 3 little kids in tow, I was very often mistaken for their teenage baby sitter and asked how much I charged per hour.
When I was in my mid to late 30's and out and about with my teen age daughters, I was taken for their older 20 something sister.
When I was in my late 40's I was generally taken for much younger, probably late 30's early 40's (although by this time the gap was slowly closing), and once out with my first granddaughter, was confronted with someone who was not quite sure if I was Mommy or Granny.
When I was in my early to mid fifties, the gap closed even more and I was generally taken for 5-8 years younger than I was, but that was still quite pleasant.
As I passed my mid 50's, suddenly the gap closed very quickly and I began hear "you look very good for your age" type comments.
Now, in Israel, a person is considered a "senior" when he reaches 60, and one of the big advantages is, he is given a card which, among other things, buys him 1/2 fare on all public transportation, and bus drivers need to see them in order to know to charge you 1/2 price when you board.
Yesterday, as I boarded a bus, the drive looked at me and without hesitation asked "Are you a senior?".
Getting a more objective of how I look would be simply impossible. And as I said, Reality, smack between the eyes. I will be 60 in about 1/2 a year and I guess the gap has closed for good...so keep those comments about "looking good for your age" coming. They are most welcomed.
And Remember: It is not how many years you live, but how you live the years that counts.
When I was in my early to mid twenties, and walking around the neighborhood with 3 little kids in tow, I was very often mistaken for their teenage baby sitter and asked how much I charged per hour.
When I was in my mid to late 30's and out and about with my teen age daughters, I was taken for their older 20 something sister.
When I was in my late 40's I was generally taken for much younger, probably late 30's early 40's (although by this time the gap was slowly closing), and once out with my first granddaughter, was confronted with someone who was not quite sure if I was Mommy or Granny.
When I was in my early to mid fifties, the gap closed even more and I was generally taken for 5-8 years younger than I was, but that was still quite pleasant.
As I passed my mid 50's, suddenly the gap closed very quickly and I began hear "you look very good for your age" type comments.
Now, in Israel, a person is considered a "senior" when he reaches 60, and one of the big advantages is, he is given a card which, among other things, buys him 1/2 fare on all public transportation, and bus drivers need to see them in order to know to charge you 1/2 price when you board.
Yesterday, as I boarded a bus, the drive looked at me and without hesitation asked "Are you a senior?".
Getting a more objective of how I look would be simply impossible. And as I said, Reality, smack between the eyes. I will be 60 in about 1/2 a year and I guess the gap has closed for good...so keep those comments about "looking good for your age" coming. They are most welcomed.
And Remember: It is not how many years you live, but how you live the years that counts.
Labels: personal stories, Reality
posted by Jane @ 5:20 PM
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