Turkey Necks...

So, I was sitting at lunch with my friends today, all of us about the same age, and we were talking about turkey necks....You know, that neck thing you get when you get older, and the one thing they can't seem to fix with plastic surgery. You know, your neck is a little saggy, a little wrinkled, looks like a.....well, it looks like a turkey neck. The comments were around why can't we do something for it?? You know, we could make a lot of money if we could figure a way to fix it.

Then one of my friends said something like this.."I hate that no one says 'you don't look your age' anymore, or 'Gee, you CAN'T have kids that age' or 'You look good for your age'. She followed with something like this.. "I hate that I want to do so much and I feel that I don't have the time anymore. I can see my limited time left just ticking down." It stopped me right in my tracks.....

First of all, my friend looks great "for her age"!! I think she is attractive. She has a quick mind and a great sense of humor. She is a great conversationalist, and fun to be around; but as we continued the conversation, I was dismayed that she and my other mature friend thought that they were invisible to the world, that they are not noticed because they are older and perceived to be uninteresting. Well that may be true in the world's eye, but....

I couldn't disagree more.

I gotta say the most interesting people I know are in my age range. That's not to say that younger people are not interesting, they are, but in a different way. I find them to be interesting because they are finding their way, sorting through decisions of life, parenthood, relationships, and work. I like their perspectives and I like hearing their hopes and how they deal with the bumps in their life. Happily, I find that they are, in many cases, better equipped than I ever was when I was a young wife and mother.

I like to, and I do, surround myself with people of all ages. I especially love children because they see heart to heart rather than face to face. If I want an honest opinion, I ask a child. They will always tell me the truth. Case in point, my grandson Luke, told his mother the following:

Luke: "Mommy, I'm all done being patient"

Jessica: "What are you talking about, Luke."

Luke: "I'm talking about being all done being patient with all your yucky dinners."

Refreshing, isn't it? Let me just say that Jessica does not make yucky dinners, but if she did, I would remain patient. I can remember when my children were young they used to look into my face and say "Mommy, you look like a movie star." Then half hour later, "I can't see around you mommy, your bottom is too big." It's all about balance, I guess.

But for sheer breadth of life experience, I find those that are my age and older bring a perspective to conversation that I enjoy. Sometimes words are not even necessary, a look will tell a story. We don't rely on our physical prowess or our good looks to try and impress, (yeah, I know, because it doesn't work anymore) but NOW, we can say something with confidence, and people will believe us, even if it is a crock. Our sense of humor is a little more twisted, and even if our shoulders are a little more bent, they hold sorrows much better. We have been seasoned with the salt of life and infused with the flavorful juices of experience. Some of us have turned out yucky, to use my grandsons word, but more have turned out delightfully delicious.

But I still want to do something about my turkey neck.