Marie and Choices

Marie Osmond lost 45 lbs. with Nutri-System, and waytago girl! Sure, she could lose five more lbs. if she'd wash her face real good, but that's not mine to judge. We're all growing older, and each will have responses to the process.

Heck, we can't all be Paul Newman or Sophia Loren, and it's in our species to resist nature when we don't like what she's up to.

Some responses are very simple equations, like bald = hair club or more wrinkles = more makeup. Others are sublimely nuanced. I can't go to an airport without seeing at least one 60 yo man walking around in a Members Only jacket.

You remember the 80's Dave, right? "I wish that I had Jesse's girl" etc. Well somewhere in an airport right now is a guy wearing his way of staying connected with youth. He was maybe 35 when he bought that jacket, and he felt hip wearing it back then. No dummy, he knows its not in style anymore, but he doesn't want to be hip in 2009. He wants to touch 1985. Far from being pathetic, I think the behavior is endearing, and rather benign when one considers some other strategies.

I've seen middle aged women trying hard to dress exactly like their teenaged daughters, and what's worse, being "cool" parents. That's another way of resisting nature, but it's also a fast track to becoming a grandparent. In comparison, a Members Only jacket would be much better.

Some adults don't want to grow up period, but nobody enjoys all the aspects of growing older. Easy for us to see the futile attempts of others to resist nature. Hard for us to realize we're probably doing things every bit as ridiculous along the same lines. But there are good things about growing older, and some amazingly positive responses available. It's like an account though. Funds are there, but it takes a PIN to access. To make something really good out of growing older takes a deliberate plan, instead of reflexive thrashing around.