All my old photos had gone by the wayside over the years, so I hadn’t had to face the comparison of what I looked like as a young woman and what I look like at this not-so-young age.
But when I found some old photos on my last trip to my hometown, I had a chance to remember how young and fresh-faced I was. What a beautiful young woman I actually was. And how I didn’t fear the camera.
It was a bit…jarring. At the same time, I’m no fool. I’ve lost my share of family and friends and recognize that growing old is certainly a better option than the alternative.
I can’t imagine ever having cosmetic surgery. If you know me in real life (yes, I know online is real life, but not really. If you know what I mean) you know that I am never going to choose to go under anesthetic or volunteer for pain if I’m not desperate for relief of some kind.
For example, a bad case of painful plantar fascitis brought on by walking 10 miles in bad shoes on vacation sent me crying to a podiatrist 10 years ago begging for a shot in my heel. The shot hurt like hell. Made the pain disappear, though. So when it happened again, I was knocking on that doctor’s door in a flash.
So yeah, that’s how I’ll have a procedure. When the alternative is worse than the procedure.
Do I wish I looked young and fresh? Of course.
But to have a surgeon peel back my face to look younger? To get shots in my forehead? To cut nerves and impact my ability to feel touch? Just to look younger?
Nah.
I’m never going to look 21 again. And I’m not 21.
Growing old is a fact of life and while I won’t embrace its physical effects, I certainly embrace it as the better of two options. An option that many of my loved ones no longer have.
Here you’ll find my blog, some of my essays, published writing, and my solo performances. There’s also a link to my Etsy shop for healing and grief tools offered through A Healing Spirit.
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