Aging Gracefully

"Youth is a gift of nature, but age is a work of art" - Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

Aging is a reality that many of us do not want to face, especially us women. Sure, many men also fear aging, but is it the same? I want to start off by acknowledging the pressure that women receive from the media to appear young. There are tons of products aimed at women to prevent aging, or "fight aging", as L'oreal words it. I wonder why the media instills so much fear about aging when it is a natural process. I found this image that points out the negative wording in this ad about aging. Instead it would be better to embrace age, especially since it cannot be prevented. 

Many people fear aging, though it is not always all about appearance, people do worry about that whether they want to admit it or not. I for one did not think about aging for much of my life until recently. I am 27 and it is interesting to see people's reactions to that number. I am aware that I am no longer considered young by some people. It is more often people's reactions that make me more aware of my age, which is why I have become more interested in the different perspectives people have about aging.


There is a double standard about aging. The media is not as hard on men about losing their youthful appearance as it is on women. A man can age and have wrinkles or lose hair and he may be considered more rugged, but he is not necessarily seen as less handsome or less manly. Whereas, a woman is much more highly criticized for her age-related 'flaws'. I have heard comments about the difference between men and women, such as men age like fine wine meaning they get better with time, but women do not. The first image states this point by saying that, "Men don't age better. They are just allowed to age". If this double standard exists, which I believe that it does, then men can grow old without any shame or the need to hide it, whereas women are much more likely to try to hide aging by buying various products. There is nothing wrong with buying products that make you feel better and I am sure there are some products that work, but I have a problem with ads and commercials telling women that they need these products. Also, I am concerned that some of the products advertised are either a rip off or contain harmful chemicals in them. It is important to read the labels and make sure that you are not putting anything in or on your body that could be harmful. The second image shows the difference between how men and women are portrayed in the media. George Clooney has visible wrinkles and greying hair, but Sandra Bullock looks the same as she did in the movie Miss Congeniality. I think this is an unfair portrayal of these older celebrities. 

As I have mentioned, women receive many messages from the media to be young and beautiful. I believe some women fear that they will not be valued once they get older and cannot maintain their youthful appearance. There is a song by Lana Del Rey called Young and Beautiful, where she sings, "will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?" This song is an example of that kind of thinking that haunts some women. The artist is clearly beautiful, but even she seems to be concerned already about losing her beauty, at least that is what is portrayed in the song. I think there is a myth that women cannot be beautiful or desirable once they reach a certain age. I think that people are influenced by the media to view aging as this horrible scary thing that must be fought off. This belief is likely perpetuated by people who have internalized these beliefs, but I wonder if this negative perspective on aging can be changed. I do not want to imply that there is anything wrong with being young and embracing that phase of life, but I also would like to see more acceptance from the media and society at large about aging, particularly for aging women. Not only would I like to see more acceptance about aging for women, but I would like older women to feel like they can celebrate their beauty as well. In my opinion, beauty is not all about how a person's skin looks or how luscious their hair is but the radiance they project, and I do not think there is an age limit on that kind of beauty. 

I also want to discuss the criticism over what older women wear. Here is a picture of Susan Sarandon showing off her cleavage. Susan Sarandon was shamed over the internet for her choice of wardrobe. Some may argue that it was not so much what she wore that was the problem, but the fact that she wore it to the sag awards. Sarandon was not the only person dressed in clothing that revealed skin, which makes me wonder if those who criticized her were more upset about it because they thought it was undignified for a woman her age. She is 69 years old if you can believe it. I believe that women should not be shamed for what they wear and I personally thought she rocked what she wore. After all she is a celebrity, and celebrities often wear things that stand out. Whatever your opinion on this may be, I think that shaming a woman for what she wears is unnecessary and hurtful. 

I think there is no problem with older women showing off their good looks like Susan Sarandon has, which brings me to a broader point that women should be able to express themselves in fashion no matter how old they are. I think there is nothing wrong with older women having tattoos and dressing wildly. Just because a woman is 'older' does not mean she no longer wants to express herself and she has every right to do so. 

My final point that I want to make is that there are positive aspects of getting older. Firstly, if you're getting older that means you have made it this far and that is surely something to be grateful for right? Also, who says that just because you are getting older, you have to feel older? I would like to think that there are some plus sides of getting older, like experiencing new life phases, having more wisdom, being secure in oneself and knowing what you want in life. The body may age, but you are still the same person. Tao Porchon-Lynch is an example of an inspiring woman who does not let age get her down. She is the oldest yoga instructor and has been on Dancing with the Stars, and has had so many incredible life experiences. I hope we can all learn something from her positive attitude about aging. I will leave you with a final quote by Mark Twain. Thanks for reading my post!

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.

— Mark Twain

My questions for you are:

What fears about aging do you have?

What are some ways we can change the negative thinking about aging and help women embrace getting older?

What do you think are some positive aspects about aging that we could focus on more?

Do you believe that perspective has the power to change how one feels about aging?

References:

https://twitter.com/MajorCelebrity/status/693627730223443968/photo/1
http://womenonthefence.com/2017/02/07/aging-body-shaming-and-what-that-means-for-us-all/
https://www.google.com/search?q=old+people+dressing+fun&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiv7q-L-Z_TAhUB_2MKHR0FCgEQ_AUIBigB&biw=1280&bih=648#tbm=isch&q=old+women+fashion&imgrc=BP8ib3gQf3wg_M:
https://www.google.com/search?q=negative+messages+about+women+aging&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjM8dq7-5_TAhUKqlQKHX2kB1MQ_AUIBigB&biw=1280&bih=604