THE AGING APPEARANCE ISSUE

 Fear of aging is a very real fear that strikes at our hearts. Our souls. I think this is more true of women than men. I believe this because I am a woman and understand vanity and appearance issues. We want longevity...but we want it with our thirty-year-old appearance. Bodies young and tight! 

Men do not discuss such topics as wrinkles, weight gain and baldness. Much.

We have limited, or no control, over the serious illnesses that can strike without warning at any age. For the most part, they are preventable and unpredictable. But we like to believe we have control over our appearance. Way before we reach senior status we are gripped with panic at the sighting of the first wrinkle or the first gray hair (plucked out instantaneously). We confront the fear of losing our youthful appearance with denial, even though the physical signs of aging swamp us like a raging tsunami.

Liver spots, a swollen belly and spreading crevices as deep as the Grand Canyon pop up with increasing frequency. To combat these pesky problems we reach out to the marketers who have been inundating us with "cures."

We buy anti-aging supplements, cosmetic surgery, peels, purges and more. There are treatments offered for whatever you can afford. The tragedy may be in how many folks buy into this dream of youthful appearance as some sort of guarantee for a longer, or better life.

Women, more so than men, spend billions of dollars toward the hope and process of looking forever young. In the end, far too many achieve a mouth that can no longer smile and eyes stretched beyond the ability to read an eye chart. The "transported by aliens look."

Anti-aging products are now number one in sales. Chemical peels and liposuction are in the top ten surgery procedures. Globally, the Precendence Research company projects by 2030 we will spend more than one hundred and nineteen billion dollars for products and procedures to appear younger. That's $119.6 billion!

The truth is, no matter how much money we spend, we'll never regain the face and body of our thirty-year-old selves.

Oh, but the quest is not new. Juan Ponce de Leon searched for the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine Florida way back in 1520. I've visited the Fountain- out of curiosity. Since the waters have not had the desired effect on the thousands of tourists who visit the Fountain each year, I didn't drink any. But if things don't improve I may. It's only a thirty-minute ride away. 

I'm not anti-aging. I'm for aging, naturally and with as much grace as I can muster. 

AGE ENTITLEMENT

 There's a certain sense of entitlement that comes with aging...and it comes in various levels, increments of good and evil. For instance, some seniors feel entitled to be rude, even hurtful by saying or doing whatever they wish. I'd rather focus on positive entitlement like my friend Linda shared with me.

There are times when advanced age gives one a ticket to outrageous behavior, or so my aging brain likes to think. Maybe I feel my agedness gives me an excuse to do something in us that feels we're disappearing, being forgotten, not being seen?

The name tag on the saleswoman checking me out at a store recently read Adeline. I asked if she knew the song with her name in the title. She'd been told about the song but never heard it. She blushed as I sang Sweet Adeline to her in its entirety.Applause and laughter throughout the store followed, and from the rear a lovely true tenor voice lifted to sing the song again. I hope everyone in the store enjoyed the sing-a-long. As I drove away I thought about how embarrassed my children would have been had any of them accompanied me shopping. I laughed and sang some more. It felt good. What fun.

Entitlement often equals happiness.

So let me tell you about my entitlement today.  I enjoy writing. I've been doing it since I first picked up a pencil. I write for the love of words, for creating stories and for my peace of mind. I think if I didn't write they would have to lock me up somewhere and throw away the key. Writing is the most inexpensive form of therapy available in this modern, shrink-wrapped world.

When I was employed to write - just about all of my adult life - I was well disciplined and wrote whether or not I was in the mood, with or without a muse over my shoulder. Now old and ostensibly retired I only feel moved to write when the mood strikes me. After all those years I feel entitled. I immediately write "The End" for a family vacation, a cruise with friends, or a great football game.

How to you feel entitled? When do you play the entitlement card?

PATCH, PATCH, PATCH!

 I like to think of my old body as a '57 Thunderbird. I loved that car. I coveted that car. But, alas, I never owned one. The Thunderbird boasted the roaring energy of a V-8 engine apart from its sleek, awesome style...energy and style similar to my body way back in the day. Now, like the old classic car, my parts are wearing out. Fortunately, today's medical community provides replacement parts. Or, has determined, thanks to evolution, that the human body no longer requires certain parts - think appendix. Think a lung lobe.

There are body parts that are scary when they go awry. Any part in the heart for example. This is why we need the support and the encouragement of souls who have marched before us into these types of replacement or treatment adventures and have prevailed.

Not long ago a hunch became a reality when I was diagnosed with an obstruction in one of my heart arteries. Anxiety set in. (It's a family thing.)

"You mean I can't participate in Tai Chi?" Not until further testing.

"So what do I do while I wait? You're talking to a former type A personality here! I cannot just wait for answers." (Drama is another family thing.)

And yet, wait is what I did initially. Afraid to move. Besides the meds made me sleepy. I could sleep standing up. Oddly enough the statistics on women's medical issues are quite different from the perceptions. While one in thirty-nine women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, one in five women will suffer from heart disease. I did not know. Did you?

There is a history of heart disease in my family so while I was genuinely shocked at the statistics I was not surprised by the test results. And while I waited for the follow-up test results, I read. I read books. I read the fine print, the notes and the footnotes. Until I realized I was wasting precious time. Wasting time is the real rub. If I were on the brink of death the day the threat was discovered, I would have been hospitalized then and there. Immediately. But I was free and happy to be! 

I am thankful and amazed at the incredible machines that can see into our bodies and allow physicians to pinpoint what they could have only guessed at a few short years ago.

I can walk in the sun, taking in the Florida beauty of nature and wildlife surrounding me. Things I took for granted in my young past.

I can manage household chores. (Not cleaning the fridge today, thank you. Any excuse.)

I'm able to share my experiences on this blog and assure you no matter what there is still quite a bit of living to do ahead. Be ready for it. There are treatments. There are cures.

I can give myself a spa day, call old friends, and shop online. (Although shopping online proved dangerous to my wallet during the Covid lockdown.)

Lame reasoning above? Perhaps, but I came of age during the time of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and his message of positivity. Just making the shortlist of can-do's snapped me out of my anxiety and impending depression...and launched me on the road to mental recovery, which is half the battle. Good news! My broken body part can be and will be fixed as whatever part you might need fixed or replaced in the future will be. 

By the bye, if you're one of those lucky people who own a '57 Thunderbird I understand you can still find parts.

And remember the immortal words of the late actor Jimmy Stewart, "After age seventy, it's patch, patch, patch."

So happy we can patch.

GiGI'S ADVENTURES IN AGING

 You are reading a lifestyle blog for women seventy-five years and older. However, this is an all-inclusive blog, and women of all ages are welcome here! I'll be blogging on aging, fashion, finance, family, and other senior fun stuff.

My name is GG -- actually, it's not -- the initials stand for the Goddess Grandmother which is a mouthful and so my granddaughters prefer just calling me GG. Currently, I am the oldest woman in the family, so I happily accept the title, Goddess Grandmother, or the synonym. Some of the girls spell my name GiGi, so let's go with that.  I am over 80 years old and no beauty by any means...but I do have all of my teeth.

The women in our family are self-proclaimed goddesses, purely a state of mind and achievable for every woman. We celebrate the strength, intelligence, humor, and sense of adventure that we treasure in one another. Occasionally when we get together, we wear our tiaras and share adult beverages.

While I may not be an expert on aging, I am experiencing the process on a daily basis. I possess past and present personal knowledge and am always prepared to speculate on the future. At times, I may be opinionated. I'll be silly. I'll be serious.

On this blog, you'll find information, helpful resources, encouragement, and support -- hopefully with a chuckle or two.

From time to time I'll be quoting the U.S. Census Bureau, CDC, the National Council of Senior Citizens, and other influential aging organizations. Just for some examples, did you know life expectancy has increased, the gender gap has narrowed in mortality rates and we are working longer? Oh, and there's so much more to come. Do you feel invisible? Are you residing in the anti-aging camp? Is your social life a disaster? Have your children taken your keys away?

As of this moment...and I am a woman so I may change my mind...a new blog will appear on My Adventures in Aging every Wednesday. (Perhaps more than once a week if the spirit moves me.)

So please join me and we'll adventure forth and forward together.

ADJUSTING!

 The vitality, or energy, that once was an integral part of my nature is no longer a sure thing. What happened? Energy is defined as the capacity or power to work, or the ability to be physically and mentally active. Once a type A personality, my energy level is way  different now at 80 years of age than it was at 60. Is yours?

Alas! My energy now comes in spurts. Short bursts really. At first I was bothered by this new aging challenge. All right. I felt annoyed. Also angry and frustrated. There have been days when I have been known to scream. (In the closet where no one can hear me). And cry. (I do not have to run to the closet. I can cry anywhere as long as I’m alone).

You see, back in my A type of personality day, I accomplished quite a bit in a twenty-four hour period. Accomplishments fed my energy, vitality. Now, not without a nap. I’m afraid I’ve reached that stage in life when any accomplishment is iffy. Even on the energetic days.

Studies suggest that those of us having difficulty adjusting to our age and capabilities must acknowledge that we are in a different stage of life. Instead of bemoaning our loss of vitality, we should do what we can to increase our energy. (According to the doctors I’ve spoken with, that would be through exercise of our bodies and minds.) Argh! Apparently by the age of seventy most of us have lost muscle mass which results in a loss of strength and an increase in fatigue. Problems such as joint damage and lack of socialization are aging challenges that often lead to inertia. Not a good thing.

I wake up in the morning, happy and relieved to do so, believe me! And I know almost immediately if it will be a day of vitality or not. Inertia can happen on a gray day, a rainy day, or most any day at all.

After a bit of a learning curve I have learned to roll with the lethargy. Reading a good book always whiffs away the disappointment. And there are days when I just shrug my shoulders and add to my to-do list for the following day. (Yes, I still make a to-do list. Have I mentioned being an A type personality in a former life?) When I feel no energy at all, I make reservations for dinner.

Hallelujah if it’s a vitality day! On days when the energy is pumping, the achievements multiply like dust bunnies beneath the bed. I make up for lost time and give thanks for the energy I’m feeling—even if it’s not available on a daily basis. This is me adjusting to a new stage of life.

If you’re missing the vitality that used to bubble through your veins, take a minute. Just breathe. And be glad you can! Count those things you are grateful for having...not what you’ve lost. We will live to sparkle another day! 

FIVE REASONS FOR EMBRACING AGING

Five Reasons for Embracing Aging

1) There is no scientific evidence that anti-aging creams and supplements actually work

2) Cosmetic surgery is expensive and more than "uncomfortable." Surgery is painful and may leave you looking like you just arrived from outer space.

3) The younger members of your family believe that advanced age equals advanced wisdom. (Not necessarily, but no sense in correcting them.)

4) Longevity means the opportunity to watch your grown grandchildren's adult journey and be able to offer helpful suggestions -- whether or not you're asked.

5) Medical miracles for geriatrics may be just around the corner. Any day now there will be cures for the myriad of mysterious aches and pains we suffer from daily.

        There is no other choice. The alternative sucks.

Blogging on Aging, family, finance and other senior fun stuff!

 Just so you know from the get-go, some of these blogs maybe just plain silly. And because there are countless aging issues to cover in the days and weeks ahead, I'd like to get the serious, major statistics on aging out of the way.

For instance, there are over fifty million men and women over the age of sixty-five in our country and that figure is expected to double by 2060. (Not that I, for one, will ever know for certain even if I live to be one hundred.)

Way back in 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau counted over fifty-three thousand centenarians, those of us one hundred years old - and older.

These statistics are just for starters. Simply put, those of us sixty-five and older are: 

Working longer

Have increased life expectancy 

Can celebrate the gender gap has narrowed on mortality rates.

There are many local and national organizations to assist the challenge of aging  and I'll be blogging about them as time goes on.

Who am I? My family calls me GG, for the goddess grandmother. (Sounds better than very old woman or even matriarch) I am well over 75 years old and no beauty by any means - but I do have all of my teeth. (Well, most of them.)