That Awkward Age

I remember being 12 years old and feeling as if it was absolutely the worst year of my life. I was too old to be thought of as a child even though I still clung to things from childhood that were familiar and safe like my stuffed toy collection and Saturday morning cartoons. On the other hand, I was not old enough to be considered a teenager with all of the lure of makeup, mini skirts (this was the 60's folks) and boys. I didn't know how to define myself and it just about drove me crazy as I'm sure it did every other 12 year old girl before and since.

In July I will turn 65 and lately I've been having that same awkward feeling. It happens every time I go shopping for clothes, or turn on the TV, or pick up a magazine. I feel it when I look for a nice romance story on the bookshelves or on my Nook with characters I can relate to.

So here's the thing: I don't want to dress like my granddaughter, but I don't want to dress like Granny Clampett either. I don't want to have to sit through one more commercial for face lifts, or chair lifts, or pills, but I'd like to see more women my age sitting in board rooms, or classrooms, or workout rooms. I'd like to see designers and marketing people who do their homework and find out what women our age really want. If they would take off their mirrored sun glasses and take a real look at the demographics, they would find that Boomers, and especially Boomer Women, still have plenty of clout and aren't afraid to use it.

Perhaps, rather than try to find way to fit in one way or the other, we should just create a whole new age. I don't mean like calling 6o the new 40 or 65 as middle age (although that would be a nice thought, wouldn't it?). I mean like doing away with the whole idea of "old." or, "senior," and come up with a whole new niche. Or, maybe we don't even need a niche. Maybe we should just call ourselves, "Glorious Me," as in, "what would Glorious Me like to wear today?" or, "maybe Glorious Me should just write that book where the characters are in their 60's, vibrant, healthy and looking for love?" 

So, here and now I am throwing down the gauntlet and starting a whole new age group called Glorious Me. I invite you all to join me and add your own thoughts and ideas. Let's start a revolution that says, "look out world, here we come." 

And so it is.

P.S. I eventually gave up the Saturday morning cartoons but, as you all know, I still have the teddy bears. Rock on!