A HUGE thanks to everybody who contributed to the survey over the past few months - what started off as a minor adjunct to the main project became a fascinating (if slightly voyeuristic!) glimpse into the your lives. So fascinating, in fact, that I ran it considerably longer than intended (plus I couldn't work out how to close it but that's another matter). And what particularly thrills me is that I now possess [insert suitably evil laugh, something like: mwa-ha-ha-ha] an encapsulation of 188 voices, 188 views, and 188 experiences with midlife - all of which will enrich The Invisible Woman immeasurably. So I've spent the past week transforming much of this into graphs and pie charts, each illustrated by personal narrative, and today I shall trot down to Officeworks and have it spiral bound. Is it sad that I find this all rather exciting?
But being a generous type, I'll also share a smattering of your own words of wisdom. An entree, if you will. So here [insert drum-roll] is the best and worst of middle-age according to you:
THE WORST THING ABOUT MIDDLE-AGE IS:
- Men stop checking you out at the supermarket
- Invisibility/ageism
- The body doesn't bounce back from injuries - it just bounces
- Battle of the bulge
- Hot flushes/menopause/random granny hairs
- Gravity wins and it all goes south
- Not being recognised as a valued shopper
- Wrinkles (but never mind Edna Everage says that crow's feet are the dried up beds of old smiles)
- Grown-up children still being home
- Grown-up children now leaving home
- Can't drink enough
- Actually being middle-aged (and the cost of trying not to look or feel middle-aged!)
THE BEST THING ABOUT MIDDLE-AGE IS:
- Men stop checking you out at the supermarket
- I'm finding out who I am, not my status - mother, wife, sister, daughter, but me
- Gaining wisdom. Not living through libido and the need for approval. Clarity about values and priorities
- Finding out that hairy nipples are more common than I thought
- Empty nest - time for me!
- What, besides our bums? Sorry, misread - though it was the biggest thing [about middle-age]
- You can relax with a book on a Saturday night
- No more periods!
- Less inhibitions, more disposable income
- Knowing now to sweat the small stuff, and what the small stuff is
- Experience/serenity/insight/choices
- Not caring as much what others think
- Am I really middle-aged?
I have just filled in the survey - not realising it was all done and dusted and then read this post - wow - a lot of my answers were there. We truly are at a fabulous time in our lives.
ReplyDeleteSo true! And I think doing this book - and researching it/talking to women etc - has actually helped me realise that. So rather than dwell on the negatives, I now feel surrounded by positives - if only I could get rid of this #$@! weight it'd all be perfect! But please do feel free to send me any thoughts, comments, feedback about any of the individual aspects. I really do want the book to contain as many voices as possible.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Ilsa