Age is a state of mind

I have 4 birthdays in the family in April, so, I’ve started to wonder when young means restless  and when you should start feeling old? When is too late to start over? When is too late to fall in love? When is too late to start a family, to change your job altogether, to learn a new sport, to move in a new country? When is too early to feel tired and overwhelm; and when is the proper time to settle down and start knitting socks?

The main stream in Romania is that around 40 your life is totally over. If until then, you had the life surprising you in various ways, after that, it is time to draw the line, calculate the score and start finding your purpose in life before is too late. Most of the Romanian media is talking about the new generation in which all our hopes rely on and the burden of old generation, spoiled by the communist regime, that we should get rid of, as soon as possible. Having fun and clubbing, stops around 25 when you should start having a family and changing dippers. If you don’t have a family and live in sin, all the neighbors are starting to ask you what is wrong with you, are you sick, are you respectable anymore? It is time to straighten up!

In Finland the situation is different. Most probably is because everybody is minding their own business. Asking personal question is impolite and you are entitle to choose the type of life that you prefer, as long as nobody else is bothered. There are clubs for singles, or gay, or looking, and for every age. I have been to several gathering where people, around 60-70 years old, were dressed up and dancing and drinking and having fun.  After children were growing up and leaving the houses, the life started again from the very beginning. All the years that have been lost in the youth were experienced again. And is not about only having fun and not about promiscuity. It is about choice of spending the life the way they choose. I know a senior lady taking art classes and traveling with the group to different exhibitions and museums for field lessons. I know several senior ladies taking gym classes, especially aqua-gym lessons, to increase their robustness and health. Without talking about all the grannies that were outrunning me when skiing. Nothing stops with aging.

Nowadays things started to change, home as well. Yesterday my sister, coming from a scuba diving vacation in the Red see, was telling me about a inspiring experience. A senior lady was sunbathing topless, swimming and snorkeling for hours, all under the constant admiration of her much younger partner and curiosity (not to say envy) of the  younger group. Guess how old was she? 80! (eighty). What about the famous woman that people “loved to hate” Leni Riefenstahl that began pursuing underwater photos at age 72, lying that she is 52 in order to get the permit for scuba diving?    

So, age is a state of mind. Did you give up at something because you were thinking that you are too old to do it? Do you think that you have good excuses to give up? Think again!

Marunte

Sambata dimineata, aici si acolo

zapada – inca 1m pe alocuri, starea zapezii – flescaita, nu poti schia, nu poti merge prin padure…

soare, au inflorit copacii, canta privighetorile – e timpul sa-mi servesc micul dejun in gradina…

catelul – superactiv, ma trezeste de dimineata sarind in pat si aducandu-mi mingea… inutil ii spun ca nu ne trezim sambata de dimineata – nu intelege…

iubitul meu animal de companie imi aduce papucii si asteapta frematand sa-i arunc un zambet… 

starea casei – deplorabila, poate e cazul sa ma apuc un pic de curatenie? insa cand? – e intrebarea…

n-are sens sa ma preocup de lucruri minore, Rafael ajutorul meu, nu curata casa in prezenta mea, decat in cazul in care prietenele mele vor sa-l vada dansand cu aspiratorul in mana… 

planul zilei – as avea ceva de citit pentru munca – inutil sa ma intrebati de ce Dumnezeu muncesc in weekend, cand NU MI-O CERE NIMENI - ar trebui sa merg sa cumpar un cadou – am comanda de un ceas il cheama TAG Heuer,  plus obligatoria plimbare prin padure, ca de-aceea mi-am luat catel!

in cateva minute ma asteapta limuzina sa plec la masaj, apoi la coafor, cateva minute trec pe la un make-up si diseara sunt fresh pentru o petrecere in oras… merg sa dansez! toata noaptea! imbracata traznet! cu prietenii! come along…