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Debates: Is Life After 40 Hot Or Not?
New York, 2:00 PM
Tue Dec 22
61 posts in the last 24 hours
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Debates: Is Life After 40 Hot Or Not? |
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
02/06/09
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02/05/09
Then again, I loved being in my 20s and being married, and being in my 30s and being married, then single.
Frankly, I'm just happy each morning that I have a new day to experience. I've lost enough people in my life at too young of an age to know how precious that gift is.
Each different stage brings it's own rewards and challenges. I wouldn't want to go backwards, nor do I want to skip ahead.
Life is good. As-is.
02/06/09
02/05/09
Every single minute I have had after my 36th birthday has felt like gravy to me. I don't give a fuck what Madison Avenue et al have to say about it. Do I look silly when I go to really loud concerts and pogo? Maybe. But think how bitchin' it'll look when I'm doing it in my 70s!
02/05/09
Articles like this make me feel better.
I don't want to be invisible.
02/05/09
You won't be invisible. And I'll wait for you on this side!
02/05/09
2. you don't lose your looks if you take care of yourself. in some cases, mine, you look better. especially if you had a fat face to begin with. over 40=fantastic cheekbones.
3. shit does start falling apart internally. on the other hand... you can almost cum just by thinking about it. it's not emotional. it's hormonal.
4. you don't care as much about how you look. you also realize other people don't care how you look as much as you thought you did. people want to be around people who don't care about how they fucking look all the time.
5. if you're a woman, you will always be able to get laid if you want to... and you will find more people attractive as you age and you're not such a bitch.
02/05/09
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I have met old 40 year olds and young 40 year olds. It is all about how you feel about it and what you do to keep yourself active.
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The only thing I wish for is my 20-something body back. Rapidly approaching menopause and a round of heavy steroid medication have both taken my waistline hostage for the time being. But somehow I'm not freaking out over it like I would have 20 years ago so everything will turn out fine.
I don't have to face awkward questions about when I'll reproduce, but I miss the opportunities to become wickedly bitchy when telling the inquiring minds that I couldn't have children and it wasn't a choice. I hope I had the opportunity to educate a few people about tact along the way and they learned the lesson. I look back on the days of giving insistent guys a fake number (usually Dial-a-prayer) back in the day, but recently had the pleasant yet awkward experience of having a 32 year old guy making some serious hits on me. I calmly told him I was happily married and 15 years older, then walked away realizing it was truly a good day.
40 isn't all that bad. I have a feeling 50 will be just fine too.
02/05/09
Hey, I might still use that Dial a Prayer trick, thanks for sharing it! :)
02/06/09
212-479-7990
02/05/09
Yes, women over 35 do more than eat yogurt and keep the romcom industry afloat. We even have all kinds of sex in all kinds of contexts. Thanks for noticing, world.
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In this one's experience, at least.
02/06/09
And I'm 29.
02/05/09
I just want to have a comfortable, practical, slightly-austere place to live, and an interesting job that pays enough to allow me to buy interesting cheeses every now and then and lot of black dresses and sensible shoes. I have the job and the apartment; I don't really care about procreating. I'm in a nice dating relationship, but I'm not even close to thinking about getting more serious.
Jezzies who are older than I: does it ever feel less weird? My mom was completely married and settled down with two kids at my age, and I feel like I'm in some kind of weird limbo. Like there's some kind of milestone I should have reached by now, and I haven't. I like my life, I like my job, I like where I live, I like my city, and I'm pretty much okay with my talents and hobbies and romantic life.
Can someone please tell me that I am way too young to give a shit about any of this? And that it gets even more interesting and fun past 30 and 40? Thanks.
02/05/09
Thus, I've been the brunt of many jokes, the recipient of many strange stares, the cause of frustration with my mother (though I think she has given up, finally) and the participant in many heated discussions regarding
MY . FUCKING. LIFE. CHOICES.
So I say, Tscheese, ignore everyone (including me) but yourself and imho, traditional expectations are highly overrated.
I have not a single regret! seriously.
02/05/09
i do have an ideal timeline in mind. I would like to get engaged at 28, married at 29, and have kids around 33, 34. But if this does not work out and it ends up being later, thats fine. adoption is cool.
02/05/09
I barely feel like a grownup most of the time and I still sometimes get carded, so I can't look that old or anything. The late 30s aren't all that different from the 20s, as far as I'm concerned. (Disclaimer: I think working out is key, but that's a-whole-nother discussion.)
02/05/09
In some ways I feel like I'm still in my early twenties, only more smarter. I definitely know what you mean about the milestone I should have reached, even though my life is in a really good place right now. I guess we'll figure it out...?