Why are we in such a rush to grow up? When we get here, we want to go back, back to the carefree days of our childhood. We wish we would have cherished those times more than we did. If only we knew then what we know now.
We couldn't wait to turn 13 so we were officially a teenager, 16 years old so we could drive, 18 years old so we could vote, and the coveted 21 years old so we could legally drink. And after that, it's all downhill. No one wants to turn 30 years old because you're no longer a 20 something and once you turn 40 years old you are halfway to death!
I have never really been bothered my age except for the early milestones mentioned. I didn't blink an eye when I turned 30 and I was excited to turn 40 because then I could compete in the Masters category for my figure competitions!
So rather than dwelling on my numerical age, I live by the age that I feel I am. As a result, some would say that I am aging badly.
I'm happy about it. I'm doing a great job at it. I have no regrets about it and I hope I just keep getting better at it. Aging badly has done wonders for me! Don't be confused. It's a good thing. You will want to age badly too.
So what are the rules to aging badly? There are no rules unless you want to make some rules. But rules just get in the way so forget them. You can do those things which you didn't do as a youth but wish you had done. Now, I'm not talking about doing drugs, smoking, drinking excessively or just being plain stupid. It's a craft that you can master but you will need practice. You may have homework to do but it's homework by your design. Homework that stimulates and challenges the kid lost inside of you.
So how do you begin? That's up to you. You must decide what aging badly means to you. For me, it means I have gone against the grain of the norm for my age bracket. I began getting tattoos at age 38. I wear my hair longer than a 41 year old should. I say things that are 'inappropriate' but funny, according to my 15 year old daughter. I don't do things to please others, I do them for myself. I have muscles that a suburbanite mom should not be sporting. I wear clear five inch high heels with an itsy-bitsy teeny weeny bikini on stage (for figure competitions people, I have not become a stripper!). My idea of relaxing is sitting in my recliner knitting while watching cop shows. I'm a home body. So as you can see, I am all over the board. I cannot be classified as a muscle head, a knitting granny or a biker chick. I don't fit the norm.
I don't always do what is expected, but do as I want to do. That's the beauty of being aging badly. I am in charge of my decisions both good and bad. I get to reap the rewards and suffer the consequences but it's because I have chosen to age badly.
I'm aging badly by most people's standards. Yet, I feel happy, fulfilled, and inspired by my choices because they are MY choices. They fit me and are not the standard for anyone else. I spend a large portion of my free time working out and I've never been healthier. But some would say I'm obsessed and others presume and assume without really knowing the truth. I love what it does for me both mentally and physically. It is a stress reliever, a time to think, a time to relax and a time to exert my frustrations.
At night, I knit and crochet like a granny in my recliner while I watch cop shows. So does that mean I am a couch potato addicted to reality TV? I'm aging badly because what 41 year old enjoys granny crafts? I am young. I should be out living life and enjoying happy hours. I have my own version of happiness.
My diet is restrictive and many people say "You only live once Rachel, why don't you enjoy it?" Little do they know, they hit the nail on the head. I do indulge now and then on fabulous foods. My addiction to chocolate rears it's ugly head more often than not. However, I have been overweight in the past and did not enjoy it. I hated putting on four pairs of pants each morning to see if the next would fit better than the last. So 'living life' and eating whatever I wanted backfired and in the end made me miserable.
My standards of 'living life' are different than most. It took me along time to get here and now that I have arrived, I will continue to age badly and enjoy every minute of it. Aging badly will permit me to live a healthier, happier, medication free life. My grandmother has aged badly and is 96 years old to prove it. But that is a story for another day.
Youth doesn't need to be wasted on the young. But it will be wasted on you if you don't stop acting your age.
Rachel
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