The benefits of aging

Despite what young people think there truly are benefits to getting older.

I think a benefit of being truly old (as in people look at you and can see your days are numbered) is that you have the freedom to speak your mind. The withered old lady can get away with commenting on your weight, unmarriedness, or bad hair cut and somehow get away with it. Age gives the freedom to abandon the internal filter of political correctness.

I myself find that I am firmly entrenched in middle age. And with the arrival of middle age comes a certain freedom...the freedom to be comfortable rather than fashionable. Warm rather than "cool". And it is good.

When I was a kid I remember that the "cool" winter boots were either Moon Boots or these tan insulated hiking boots. Everyone in my family had the hiking boots. I wanted the hiking boots, but alas neither they nor the moon boots would fit my deformedly narrow feet and ankles. So what would fit? Ladies dress boots. These were not cool. So instead of wearing the dress boots I wore runners in the winter. Frozen feet were better than wearing uncool boots on the way to and from school...

Now that I am accepting of my middle agedness, I want warm feet, and I don't care what is on my feet to get it....but I still have to deal with my chicken feet. So this weekend I was thrilled to find some insulated rubber boots at Welshes that actually fit my feet and legs. The fact that they are brown, with off-white, rust, green, and yellow swirly patters (aka ugly) matters not. They fit and are warm. And to top of off, I wear them with my pant legs TUCKED IN! Good thing I don't have kids; they would be mortified.

I also would never wear a toque as a kid...it would lead to staticy hair and I couldn't have that. Frozen ears were preferred. Now I am ok going out in public in my goofy looking Mennonite fuzzy ear flap hat. I want warm ears, and I figure the static in my hair will help keep the hay in place.

Yes, I am quite a catch...Rob is one lucky man...

Karen