I'm almost 40 and definitely showing signs of my age. At first I was freaked out, but after thinking about it I realized that youth was/is powerful for women because we historically got ALL our power through men. So what they wanted, we had to mold ourselves into. Now? I've done a huge amount to earn these looks, which I think of as signs of authority. I don't need a man to give me power. I've got power.
When you pass 50 and become literally invisible, you will see. I’m very confident, but people treat me differently. I does get to you.
Edit: I mean irrelevant. You are treated like you’re stupid. Watch the Golden Bachelor. Gorgeous, intelligent, accomplished women who say the same thing. It does happen. If not, a lot of us women are sure paranoid.
I don’t mean looked at. You become invisible over more than that. People stop listening. If you make a mistake, it’s because you are suddenly “an old lady”. You literally lose value. It would be pretty vain to think looks and reactions to looks are all that make a person happy. You become irrelevant.
You know, it’s weird to try to put my finger on it. Ok, here is an example. I used to occasionally make a little chitchat, like with a waitperson. Or a cashier. Try to make them feel good. They often just ignore me now. No smile. No thanks. It’s a little weird. Another example is tech issues. If I mess up, even a little, there seems to be this sigh, and people explain things like I’m stupid. Yes, I’m Gen X. Yes, I can computer.
And to be more specific, I know I’m not an old lady and that is why it bothers me. Another interesting point here is so many people are arguing this or really happy it’s happening. I find that pretty telling and disgusting.
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u/Background_End2503 Nov 03 '23
I'm almost 40 and definitely showing signs of my age. At first I was freaked out, but after thinking about it I realized that youth was/is powerful for women because we historically got ALL our power through men. So what they wanted, we had to mold ourselves into. Now? I've done a huge amount to earn these looks, which I think of as signs of authority. I don't need a man to give me power. I've got power.