Boomer Women: Embracing Our Age With Guts and Gusto!
One of the biggest myths around is that growing older for a woman is tantamount to shriveling away—unseen, frumpily attired, and relegated to the sidelines of society. But as boomer gals have done with so many cultural myths and injustices, we’re blowing that ol’ chestnut to smithereens!
Silent and invisible? I think not! Relegated to the margins of society? No way! Boomer women retain our revolutionary spirit and, in many ways, are growing even stronger and more outspoken with age—and, for us, that’s saying a lot!
Now that many of us have moved past our earlier focus of building young families and/or nurturing careers, we’re freed up to express ourselves like never before. Coupled with the hormonal changes at menopause, I like to say we gals our “sprouting our whiskers and strutting our stuff!”
As regular readers know, I’m doing a series of interviews with Suzanne Braun Levine on embracing our age after fifty. Suzanne knows whereof she speaks. As the founding editor of Ms. magazine, she and her coworkers did their share of trailblazing in the name of womankind. And Suzanne didn’t stop there. She’s now helping us relish this most fruitful and, in many ways, exciting period of our lives through her books, Inventing the Rest of Our Lives and 50 is the New Fifty: Ten Life Lessons For Women in Second Adulthood.
The most recent life lesson we covered is “Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes,” perhaps the most fundamental lesson of them all. So take a moment to listen to what Suzanne has to say. The broadcast is a mere 15 minutes, and you’ll come away with a renewed spirit as you contemplate the changes you wish to make in your own second adulthood.
I also want to share a lovely surprise I had from another author. Randy Susan Meyers wrote The Murderer’s Daughters a haunting and unforgettable story of two sisters growing up under unimaginably difficult circumstances. The book awakens many emotions but will leave you feeling hopeful and inspired. I highly recommend it.
The surprise, however, came later. Randy is embracing her own age by writing a piece for the Huffington Post. In it she mentions her issues surrounding appearing on a radio show entitled: Feisty Side of Fifty. Please take a moment to read this hilarious (and, yes, feisty) article, check out her website, and take a look at her remarkable book.
There’s another boomer movement going on and it’s bigger and better than ever. So watch out world—we gals are marching again and this time we’re revolutionizing the spirit and style of aging. Embrace it, baby, embrace it!
Posts
Loading ...
June 21st, 2010 at 8:57 am
Hi – I have really enjoyed the last two programs the MOST! “Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes,” is the transition period I am going through and I am feeling re-energized because I have started training for a 60K Walk to raise funds to End Women’s Cancers and the training has given me new confidence. It has also introduced to me to some terrific women! Women in midlife, younger and in their ’80s.
“Your Marriage Can Make It” is my other recent favorite – a great affirmation for everyone who has been in a marriage for 30 plus years!
June 20th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Thanks for all the great references – and suggestions! Yes, many of us DO embrace our age with gusto, and do so for all the right reasons. But there are some of us who are more tentative, maybe more concerned, that the “truth” about our ages will impact negatively in a job interview situation, or in an opportunity for a professional promotion. And when this tentativeness exists, it also may be for the right reason. In reality, age discrimination exists. I have always maintained, though, that a good countermeasure is to simply exude gobs of confidence. Confidence truly can be the punch that packs the whallop! We all have amassed years of living and contributing and succeeding in various ways, so our confidence can and shoulb be both genuine and authentic – and not be minimized!
June 19th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Thanks. I needed this boost today as I have succumbed a bit lately to feeling frumpy and relegated to the sidelines, lol. Your blog always brings me back to my core energy somehow!
So, despite a nasty pinched nerve that’s making me walk like an 80 year old, I am happy to have my determination and drive back where it belongs!