It occurred to me the other day-- while watching The Office-- just how crazy human beings are. This reaction was a response to an Avon commercial for some kind of "Age-defying serum" or the like. The make-up industry has effectively taken advantage of a woman's fear of getting older. Not just getting older, LOOKING older. And I really can't pretend, at my young, inexperienced 20 years, to know what that's like. (For heaven's sake, my cousin's husband thought I was 14. MY issue at this point is looking too YOUNG for my age.) But that's just it; at my age, and nearing the summit of my college education, I will very soon be thrown down the mountain into the crazy jungle of real life. For which I feel slightly ill-equipped.
And while watching these constant, obnoxious "lie about your age" and "keep them guessing" age-denying serums and foundations and lotions and facial treatments... I keep thinking, what wouldn't I give to be one of these women? And why are they trying to hide their age? To have the life-success, the life-security, the life-experience... that's all I want right now. I want to KNOW where I'll be in twenty years. I want to be confident, flourishing, secure. Heavens. I want to be past the initial suffering and struggle. I want to know where I am, know where I'm going, know where I've been.
It's a double standard. Women want to BE older without LOOKING older.
Pshah. I could easily start railing on about this ridiculous culture's misconceptions about beauty, (I mean, for heaven's sake, the strength, confidence and intelligence of so many women today, how is that not beautiful?) but I'd really rather not. It's like beating your head against a brick wall, and it makes me tired.
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