And So I Begin

I’m a woman, 54 years old.
That says more about me than you might think at first. It means I went to high school in the 60’s, when girls still weren’t allowed to wear pants to school. When we all had our ears pressed to the radio trying to decipher the so-called dirty lyrics to “Louie Louie”. When our marching band was playing movie themes like “West Side Story“, and “The Longest Day”. It means I went to college in the ‘70’s when guys I knew were living on one banana a day trying to lose enough weight to be ineligible for the draft when they flunked out. When books like “I’m OK You’re OK”, and “The Sensuous Woman” had us convinced that virtually anything you could think of to do was “OK“. And when you entered the local dance club, the black lights were so intense, all you could see were people’s teeth, and the occasional white bra glowing through a loose knit sweater. It means I matured through the 80’s, when “coke” stopped meaning “Coke”, and shoulder pads grew to NFL proportions. It means that the ’90s seem like just a few minutes ago.
More than anything, it means I’m planted smack dab in the middle of the Baby Boomer generation. Where 50 is the new 30. Or something like that. It’s a funny place to be. Just today my husband and I were riding in the car, listening to the oldies station, bopping our heads to “Walk This Way” like the opening scene of “That ’70’s Show”, guitars screaming, bass whomping, and us just groovin’. And it occurred to me that the people in cars going by must see Mr. and Mrs. Cleaver going nuts like teenagers. This is an odd time of life - still perfectly capable of feelin’ groovy, just don’t look in the mirror.
A few years back I had the idea to write a series of articles poking fun at geezers. Now I think, “what’s so funny?”
But I’m enjoying being my age. I’m not so self conscious. I’m not so consumed with comparing myself to everyone else. I have a different perspective on life, a different vantage point from which to observe the world. Sometimes things strike me funny. Sometimes they just strike me. And so begins my journey into blog land. I’ll think of stuff and write it down, and maybe someone else will read it and think, “I know what you mean.” Or, “I never thought of that.”
Thanks for being here. Oh, here’s something I ran across that I really like. I don’t know where it originally came from, but it’s written on a sign on the wall of Mother Teresa’s children’s home in Calcutta:

"ANYWAY"

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered,
LOVE THEM ANYWAY
If you do good, people will accuse you of
selfish, ulterior motives,
DO GOOD ANYWAY
If you are successful,
you win false friends and true enemies,
SUCCEED ANYWAY
The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow,
DO GOOD ANYWAY
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable,
BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY
What you spent years building may be
destroyed overnight,
BUILD ANYWAY
People really need help
but may attack you if you help them,
HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY
Give the world the best you have
and you'll get kicked in the teeth,
GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU'VE GOT ANYWAY.