Over the Hill?

Today I went to a church meeting for a committee I'm on. We plan quarterly activities for the women's auxiliary. There were 6 women present, and I was the eldest. One other woman has a daughter in college and two middle-school age children, but of the other four's combined 11 kids, the eldest are 7. Needless to say, I could not contribute much to the planning of the activities for the year--I've been there and done that, for the most part.

This is just one other instance that reminds me I'm getting a bit long in the tooth. While I am a member of the largest age cohort in the United States, I still feel a bit past it, as the British say.

My home is starting to look a bit dated, for example. The rich golds, burgundies, and navy blues I favor are no longer in vogue. My Karastan rugs have been manufactured in the same color scheme since the 1920s, so they are modern classics, and my furniture is all basically reproductions of federal styles, but the latest iteration of Mid-Century Modern that the thirtysomethings favor makes my stuff look, well, stuffy by contrast. Now, I know the mid-century modern aesthetic is going to look passe in a few years too, but there you are.

Then there's my clothing style. I try to stay up on things and not let my look get too dated, but I still favor a lot of eye shadow and some volume in my hair--reminiscent of the 1980s when I was in my twenties and thirties. (Fortunately, I have a fabulous stylist who changes my hair on a regular basis.) I am loath to get rid of my beautiful silk blouses and wool suits, though they are not currently in style. A lot of the time I feel like a frump.

Women my age cannot wear clothes from Forever 21 without looking idiotic, but I am finding the happy medium of staying au courant without looking teenagey much more difficult than I thought I would. I keep reminding myself that just because something is not worn out doesn't mean it should still be worn!

My political position seems to be out of it, too. I have noticed a very liberal trend among younger people. Ultimately, this means that even Republicans will be more liberal in the future than they are now.

What did John Mellencamp say? "Life goes on...long after the thrill of living is gone." Gosh, I don't want to believe that.