Tuesday 7 February 2012

When I am old

I have never really paid much attention to significant birthdays, another year passes by, it's nice to celebrate with a meal, but on the whole I have been fairly non plussed at the years strolling by.
Like most people, inside I feel young, it's only the odd fleeting glance in the mirror that brings me up sharp, that inability to recognise who's looking back at me has been occurring more and more of late, somehow any control over the elasticity of my skin I once had is failing and gravity is taking a greater toll than I had anticipated.
I suppose in the media I am what is described as a cougar, both fathers of my daughters are younger than me, Kitty went over to her father's to celebrate his 40th this weekend, I am approaching 50. The age gap that seemed negligible at the time now starts to seem cavernous, it's not much better with Emin.
To ease the transition into the second half of my century my sister is taking me to Madrid, Mother is taking me to Venice, Kitty for a curry! Whilst the day itself will be spent in a pub somewhere near a beach on the Norfolk coast. I should by the end of the year have had a ball no?

As for what I see in the mirror..both these ladies are the same age and I know which one I would prefer to look like when I hit my 70th+ The view from here
College was much improved, I think the lecturer has realised that she has much to learn from our somewhat esoteric way of seeing, and she was considerably more open to discussion last night. Again we had the Tate mostly to ourselves, we had a sneak preview of the Yayoi Kusama exhibition, there is a white room awaiting the application of stickers, plus some fabulous red and black spotty bouncing ball, sadly tethered. I think they should have had loads for us to bounce around the Turbine Hall, a missed opportunity.
We saw the Descendants last week, one area of discussion at college is how two people can watch the same film but see two very different films. I was moved to tears by the 10 year child's way of dealing with her mothers impending death. Emin came away thoroughly uplifted by the cinematography and wanted to go back to see it again, he loves Hawaii that much! Pretty much all else went right over his head!

1 comment:

materfamilias said...

So we'll occupy the same decade for a year, then, shall we? I've found it to be a pretty decent decade and I suspect you may as well. It's rather satisfying to know what you want to do, and to have made some space within which to do that.
I've just finished reading another Diane Athill memoir, which ends with her at 93. . . a good way for me to feel young AND to be encouraged about the possibilities yet ahead.
And I'm with you on the slouchy grey linen over the fuschia pink silk!