Finally, we find something to cheer about!

Ok, troops, you knew that SOMEDAY people would say "Boy, I sure envy all those people over 60!" Well, we now have Reason #1: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/21/AR2009052104033.html?referrer=emailarticle

That's right -- at least a third of individuals over 60 who were tested had partial immunity to the H1N1 virus, known in the 'hood as the swine flu!

Now, it happens that the swine flu is actually spreading in Eastern MA so I don't want to sound like I'm not sensitive to other people's troubles. But with so many of our compatriots looking for work right now (I know, they don't call it "age discrimination" they call it "reduction in force and you guys make more money so what do you expect me to do?")we could definitely advertise ourselves as "a good employment risk because we are less likely to be out for long periods of time during a major pandemic..." I mean, you have to emphasize your strengths.

It's to Dye for!

Although the last thing the "Turning S*x*y" group should worry about is how they look, the reality is that I have always secretly enjoyed seeing people my age who look older than I do. It's one of the few places where I can compete on looks.

So it was pretty discouraging today when I got a new haircut. It's a great haircut -- easy to take care of, stylish, etc. -- but it has one problem. The way it turned out it showed that I had a TON of gray hair.

I was shocked to see that, to my mind, I'd aged about ten years in ten minutes. It's the first time I have EVER thought about coloring my hair. Because I also pride myself on looking like I look. Period. I don't wear makeup. I don't even wear much jewelry. I don't like to shop. I pride myself on being a nontraditional woman in all the vanity departments.

Except for the fact that I used to look younger than my age. In part I think it's because I DONT wear makeup. When you don't put gunk on your skin, then it's just your skin. And I guess I'm lucky that, although my gene pool contains lots of unwanted inhabitants, it does have the "good skin and cheekbones" genes.

So how do I handle this? Do I stick to my guns and say "you can deal with this!" or do I give in and say "Hey, you just invested thousands in dentistry, why not get hair to go with your teeth?" Hmmmm.....

And then, of course, I realize what's bizarre about all this. While I was getting my hair cut, I ran into my friend Carol, whom I literally hadn't seen in two years. Because she's been battling cancer. She was at the hair salon because she gets her hair done every three weeks. Chemo and cancer have turned it stark white. She actually looks incredible. You would not know she is battling a life-threatening illness. She was given eight months to live two years ago. She is laughing, telling jokes, and fitting in trips to the oncologist between work and visiting family and friends. She is, simply, amazing.

And I'm worrying about whether I should color my hair? Maybe I should be glad I HAVE hair.....

Stepping Aside

Sorry to keep blogging about articles, but my feelings are a bit hurt. In the last week, I told two different people that I'd started a blog about "Turning S*x*y." Both of them said "Have you read Anna Quindlen's last Newsweek column?"

Well, here it is: http://www.newsweek.com/id/195657

Maybe it's OK for Anna Quindlen to say she'll "step aside." She has a lot of money now, and as she says, she's still going to write books. And frankly, I think it's pretty cheeky to say that you're going to retire at age 57 or something (she says she was 8 when JFK was elected) in the middle of a recession. Sort of like thumbing your nose at your public.

For some of us, we didn't hit it big in our 30s, our 40s or even in our 50s. We are still chasing the dream, and as my friend Jerry Posner says "Wake Up Late Bloomers! It's Not Too Late!" or something to that effect. So with all due respect to Anna, I am NOT stepping aside. In fact, I think I'll stand right in the middle of the sidewalk and make someone notice me....

DEFINE HAPPINESS

or as the sage says "I've given you a topic. Talk amongst yourselves."

One of the benefits of aging is that you have the ability to look back and assess the path you've taken and then make some choices about which way you'll go for the rest of the journey.

An article in the Atlantic brought me up short because I found the whole concept fascinating. A researcher decided to follow a group of Harvard men starting in the 1930's and track them to see what the course of their lives were. They were chosen because they exhibited qualities that would have seemed to have given them a good head start in life, not to mention that they already were at Harvard. The article, which is found at http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200906/happiness takes a while to read but I couldn't put it down (or whatever the equivalent is when you're reading something on the internet....couldn't stop scrolling?)

One interesting statistic is that a third of the men ended up having major problems with alcohol. Some of the brightest and most "promising" took detours in life that no one would have suspected. One of the people who took such a detour had such an interesting take on this life choices that I'm not sure he wasn't the most "successful" even though he was probably crazy and certainly unconventional to say the least.

I'd be interested in hearing what anyone has to say.....Peace.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SALLY

If this blog is for one thing, it is to celebrate the notion that those of us Turning S*x*y are, for lack of a better phrase, the cat's meow! I realize this phrase actually predates those of us who are 60 but I think one of our goals this decade should be to bring back long ago phrases, just like we recycle music.

So who better to wish a Happy Birthday to than to my friend Sally! She is one of the inspirations for this blog and has made the notion of entering a seventh decade seem like an absolute hoot! In part because she looks like she's 50 and she is also a fount of all sorts of information -- philosophical, trivial, political, inspirational and humorous. She is the first person, for example, who turned me on to Susan Boyle. Yes, two days later, everyone had heard of Susan Boyle, but Sally was ahead of the curve. Always has been, always will be. And of course, as President of the Jerry Groopman Fan Club (otherwise known as "The Groopies") she almost has a full-time job on her hands. And if you don't know who Jerry Groopman is, then that just proves that she's ahead of the curve and you're not. OK, the rest of the world calls him Jerome, but they're not part of the Club.

We've all heard all this stuff about today being the first day of the rest of your life. Well, in the case of the Turning S*x*y set that couldn't be more true. We are going to remake the image of elders in a way that will ASTOUND this society. Of course we will be doing that after we have a cup of coffee and maybe a short afternoon nap, but you'll see it.

I could go on and on but there's that little issue of coffee....

Sobering Thoughts

I spent part of the weekend planning a 40th college reunion. It was lots of fun and we had a lot of laughs but one member of our group pointed out something that wasn't terribly funny....the class five years ahead of us, who had started with the same number of members, was 50 people smaller than we were...

Note to self. Show up at 40th reunion because who the heck knows who will be there for the 45th or 50th. Show up for 50th high school reunion. Ditto....

I mean, we're not THAT old. But I had to say that I saw at least three classmates that looked like they were headed for myocardial infarctions. Hopefully their meds are up to date and they're eating their Wheaties.

So yes, we're going to live forever but you may want to take out that long-term care insurance now while you can still get it!