Put Age on Hold
Author: Joan C. Borgatti

I’m convinced that you are only as old as you think you are. At least that’s what I’m counting on.

The day I turned 51 years old, I came home from work feeling pretty darned good about myself. But waiting for me were two new catalogs that clearly had an older woman’s point of view. The pages were filled with Lycra thing-a-ma-jigs that promised to lift, separate, and banish all those soft, putty-like body parts that are evidently spilling on the ground around me. There were emollients and miracle potions to smooth the crags and crevices that are deepening in my face as I write this. It was depressing.

So, I did what any woman would do.

“Honey, do you think I’m fat?” I asked my husband as I turned from side to side. “Can you see the bags under my eyes?”

My husband was backed up against the wall, the firing squad holding him firmly in their sight. It was sad to see his eyes, because he knew there was no way he was getting out of this conversation alive. But desperate times call for desperate measures. He tried flattery.

“I think you look like you’ve lost weight,” he said nervously.

Oh, well. I know that my jaw line has grown soft. I’ve gained weight. I need reading glasses and will search for them endlessly until I remember that they’re on my head. But my mind still thinks I’m so much younger. Age is a funny thing. Our mind holds us captive at a young age while our bodies keep aging.

I prefer James Garfield’s thoughts on aging: “If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should never grow old.” The way I see it, when the spirit grows old, we have truly aged. It’s the end. Finale. The fat lady has sung.

Here are some tips for staying eternally youthful:

? Choose to be happy. Nothing drags a face and body down like a dour outlook.
? Get younger friends. They will keep you laughing, learning, and life interesting.
? Wear clothes that suit you. There’s nothing worse than seeing a chronologically challenged person dressed in clothes that are too trendy or youthful. You had your time; get over it. By the same token, don’t start borrowing your grandmother’s clothes.
? Exercise to feel good. The goal of exercising should be to enhance the quality of your life, not rap you over the head because you can’t fit someone else’s ideal.
? Be a life-long learner. As they say – use it or lose it.
? Put fun in your life. Creativity experts believe that play is good for us physically, mentally, and emotionally.
? Be one with nature. Walk in a forest. Pick wild flowers. Sit by the sea. Watch birds and squirrels. Be a part of something much bigger than just you.
? Laugh. Go for throw-your-head-back guffaws. See the silliness and absurdity in life.

We only get one go around in this life. Live it fast and furious or slow and deliberate. Don’t run to meet old age; make it wait for you.







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Joan Borgatti is the owner of Borgatti Communications, which provides writing, editing, speaking, and coaching services. This article is adapted from an essay in her book, Because I Can, which is available at www.joanborgatti.com.

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