Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Throwback Thursday: 1995, Stripes, Brave or Not


Oh boy…am I being really brave or am I being really stupid? Honestly, I don’t know the answer to that question. What I do know is that I am wearing the same shirt in both of these pix. Yes, the exact same shirt! In 1995 with Agatha, the Norwich Terrier, who charmed my world when I lived in New York City and made the journey with me here to the Pacific Northwest; and, me today snapping a selfie almost twenty years later – at least the shirt has conquered the test of time!


Part of me wants to scream “why didn’t I age as well as the damn shirt!” But, if I do shout those words, am I admitting that over the last several months I have really been struggling with the aging thing? I’ll back up a bit and say in my defense that 65 (no, that isn’t a typo, I am 65) has been a very trying year – and along with just normal aging related stuff I think the ravages of stress and loss have definitely taken their toll. Up until this point in life, I felt pretty good about the aging process – thinking that I was doing it with grace and a modicum of dignity. Then suddenly, all of that thinking took a giant turn, running in the opposite direction and now I find myself struggling with the lines, wrinkles, bags and sags that seem to be showing up in droves.


I know that part of the problem is the fact that, because of my jewelry biz, I am fairly immersed in the world of fashion and beauty. And, we all know that we live in a youth-centered culture and maybe we always have; but since I was a part of that demographic at one time it didn’t bother me so much. Then along came the advent of the “selfie” and pow – right in the smacker – there they are, all the signs of having lived 65 long years. I know, I know, technology being what it is today, I could use some pretty amazing app filters and get rid of those signs of life…but isn’t that kind of like brushing mortician’s wax on my face and just admitting that I am dead? I don’t know.

I do know that I have nothing against youth; in fact, I so enjoy following all of the amazing young people, watching as they blindly and energetically tackle the yet unknown world of online media. So, it’s not that I am jealous or envious; I think it is just the reality that I am a “granny” in the hashtag vernacular of online social and video media and somehow that makes me irrelevant, insignificant or worse yet…someone to laugh at, someone without a voice. I'm not quite sure…but I’ll leave it at that and stew over my original question of “brave or stupid.” 

P.S. As for the shirt – it’s proof that quality and classic always win out in the end. If I did a cost per wearing evaluation, it would definitely be in the pennies per wearing range. Pretty hip thinking for a granny, maybe?

2 comments:

  1. hilary9:52 PM

    Oh Tanya, i so remember our conversations about aging - back in the 1980s! We were so young.
    You still look great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Way back then!! Those were the days we laughed about it. Thanks for your kind words.

      Delete