OK, I get it. In the grand scheme of the “new normal”, when us baby boomers are dealing with unemployment and alarming health care reform issues, how we look and feel to the outside world is important. I don’t want the outside world to see me as too old or too tired or less than vital in any way. If you believe the news reports, it does seem that I may never be able to retire and will need to earn money for at least the next 20 years. The news reports also tell me that people my age are just not getting hired for jobs. Well, that’s a bind.
What about dating at my age? According to some reports, men don’t want to date women who don’t have a secure high paying job and money in the bank, because they don’t want to be used for their money. Obviously, I was never into the “marry for money” thing, but gee-whiz it might be nice if the next guy had some money. I’m just sayin’. He doesn’t have to be loaded, but the truth is, I don’t want to support anyone else at this time of my life. So, if I understand correctly, I need to have a job that will bring in an equal amount as the man makes (ha!) and keep that for the next 20 years so I might be able to spend my 80’s in retirement (with or without the man because who knows if either of us will make it that far). But then again, according to reports, I might only be able to find employment at Walmart (if I am lucky), so that’s kind of a bind too.
Wow, if I am to believe these reports and the opinion of a respected author, it doesn’t look good for me in the love department OR the life department. If I believe in the statistics-or what other people think, I am pretty much screwed. So it would seem. As middle age winds down and my senior years creep ever closer I could feel pretty down about the whole thing. That is if I care about the reports or what anyone would think.
The truth is:
- I AM A GRANDMOTHER! I don’t care whom I tell and I have no issue proclaiming it on a first date! If that is intimidating or makes me seem old to someone, then he obviously isn’t “the someone” that I am looking for.
- My job security is slightly tenuous and I don’t have buckets of money in the bank. I might not be hirable in corporate America, but I am creative and enthusiast and trust that the “Universe” will provide. In truth I don’t think that my sitting at a desk working for somebody else is the way for me to earn a living anyway.
- I refuse to live in a bind. My life has never been “normal” so why should I get caught up in the “new normal”? I don’t want to be dictated to when it comes to how I define myself.
I choose to live my life as fearlessly as possible, knowing that it is all Unknown. I choose to live my life in love with all that is and all the unknown potential to come. I think that if I do this, then the love department and the life department will be a beautiful adventure.
