Dear Tazi:
I have an odd issue and I am uncertain about how to proceed. Last Saturday morning I ran out to the Super Wal-Mart to pick up a few items I hadn't realized I'd run out of, and I caught sight of myself in one of the reflective metal surfaces at the meat counter - and I didn't recognize myself! I looked much older than I always thought I looked, and am wondering just how long I have looked this way. I don't have the money for a makeover, and am feeling very blue about this whole issue. In fact, my self-esteem is tanking over it. Do you have any suggestions on where to go from here?
Signed,
Old Lady
Dear Old Lady:
Let me get this straight: You caught an quick glimpse of yourself in what was probably a scratched, possibly dented, and most likely smudged metal surface that produced a distorted reflection at a time that you were probably not looking your best in the first place, having run out of the house unexpectedly. And you trust this one image over the mirror into which you usually look?
Seeing ourselves as we truly look in the moment as opposed to how we see ourselves in our "magic mirrors" can be truly jarring at times; but you also need to consider the reflective source and how you looked at the time your image was being reflected. Most women I have seen do not make-up their face and do their hair to go to Walmart on a Saturday morning; and judging from the pics posted on the People of Walmart site, most people in general do not take care with their personal appearance before skedaddling out the door to the local superstore. Does this make you feel at all better?
Expensive cosmetics and trips to the salon are a nice way to pamper oneself, but are not necessary to reverse the aging process. A bottle of drugstore moisturizer will do wonders towards improving the firmness of your skin, and a box of Miss Clairol will cover the gray. Control-top pantyhose and tummy control jeans can help hold a jiggly middle in place, and wearing age-appropriate clothing will go far towards giving you a more tailored appearance. Consuming plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and water will also improve your personal appearance by keeping your body healthy. Nothing helps a person look younger like the glow of good health! Nothing ages a person faster than the stress of worry and anxiety...and cigarette smoking, so if you do smoke now might be a good time to quit!
I also suggest that you ask a few close, trusted friends to give you an honest and constructive critique of your personal appearance. You may discover that you are not really an "old lady" after all, and were simply having a bad day! If you still feel the need for personal improvement - or if your friends suggest it - keep in mind that as people get older, they invariably start to show signs of age. This is nothing to feel blue about; but rather it is something to embrace! Aging is a natural part of life, and much more preferable to the alternative of dying young and leaving a great looking corpse.
Snuggles,
Tazi
I have an odd issue and I am uncertain about how to proceed. Last Saturday morning I ran out to the Super Wal-Mart to pick up a few items I hadn't realized I'd run out of, and I caught sight of myself in one of the reflective metal surfaces at the meat counter - and I didn't recognize myself! I looked much older than I always thought I looked, and am wondering just how long I have looked this way. I don't have the money for a makeover, and am feeling very blue about this whole issue. In fact, my self-esteem is tanking over it. Do you have any suggestions on where to go from here?
Signed,
Old Lady
Dear Old Lady:
Let me get this straight: You caught an quick glimpse of yourself in what was probably a scratched, possibly dented, and most likely smudged metal surface that produced a distorted reflection at a time that you were probably not looking your best in the first place, having run out of the house unexpectedly. And you trust this one image over the mirror into which you usually look?
Seeing ourselves as we truly look in the moment as opposed to how we see ourselves in our "magic mirrors" can be truly jarring at times; but you also need to consider the reflective source and how you looked at the time your image was being reflected. Most women I have seen do not make-up their face and do their hair to go to Walmart on a Saturday morning; and judging from the pics posted on the People of Walmart site, most people in general do not take care with their personal appearance before skedaddling out the door to the local superstore. Does this make you feel at all better?
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| Except for our man, Willy. He ALWAYS looks fresh when going to Walmart! |
Expensive cosmetics and trips to the salon are a nice way to pamper oneself, but are not necessary to reverse the aging process. A bottle of drugstore moisturizer will do wonders towards improving the firmness of your skin, and a box of Miss Clairol will cover the gray. Control-top pantyhose and tummy control jeans can help hold a jiggly middle in place, and wearing age-appropriate clothing will go far towards giving you a more tailored appearance. Consuming plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and water will also improve your personal appearance by keeping your body healthy. Nothing helps a person look younger like the glow of good health! Nothing ages a person faster than the stress of worry and anxiety...and cigarette smoking, so if you do smoke now might be a good time to quit!
I also suggest that you ask a few close, trusted friends to give you an honest and constructive critique of your personal appearance. You may discover that you are not really an "old lady" after all, and were simply having a bad day! If you still feel the need for personal improvement - or if your friends suggest it - keep in mind that as people get older, they invariably start to show signs of age. This is nothing to feel blue about; but rather it is something to embrace! Aging is a natural part of life, and much more preferable to the alternative of dying young and leaving a great looking corpse.
Snuggles,
Tazi
Excellent Advice Tazi. It is so true, aging is much better than dying young. I have friends, who are in their 30's and even some in their 20's, who fear aging, especially physically. I tell them "well it is better to live to 100 and have wrinkles, than dying at 20, and not being able to live a fill life of so much opportunity". Also, I say the older one lives, the more they experience the greatness of life. So I say "BRING ON THE WRINKLES". It makes me more of a person, who was lucky enough to experience the wonders of life.
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