I don’t know about you, but I have my days when peering into the mirror to apply my makeup is an exercise in emotional fortitude. And, yes, I have one of those necessary evils: a magnifying mirror. It helps me see where the mascara actually goes rather than aiming at fuzzy shadows I believe to be my eyelashes. But, boy, some days that old mirror reflects some unsettling TMI (Too Much Information)—horrors I’d just as soon never have noticed.
That said, I was just given one of those precious examples in life whereby my entire outlook on the physical signs of aging was transformed. We all know the saying: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Well, it’s true beyond anything I might have imagined.
I was out to lunch with my 88-year-old friend when she shared a story I just have to pass along. A world traveler who’s interested in various cultures, she’d stopped by a Chinese grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner. While there, she decided to buy a six-pack of Chinese beer she’d remembered from one of her trips to Asia.
At the checkout stand, my friend realized the clerk was probably new to this country and was trying her hardest to do everything exactly right. In fact, as she rang up the beer, the checker stopped and asked the octogenarian for her ID.
“What?! You’ve got to be kidding!” said my friend with obvious surprise.
“No, I need to see your ID,” came the response from the earnest rule-follower.
So, my 88-year old friend pulled out her driver’s license and dutifully showed it to the clerk. The checker looked at the birth date (1930) and without missing a beat said, “You look good!”
I swear this is the truth and it thrills me beyond measure! In only a couple decades’ time, I might just get carded! Imagine that!