What Does Age Got To Do With It?

Sandra Bullock made a home run.

Her recent movie, The Blind Side, becomes one of the few female-centered films to cross the $200 million mark at the US box office beside the 2002 romantic comedy “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” (we own that movie – what a low-budget surprise!) which, earned $241.1 million domestically.

After seeing most of her movies and contemplating on her recent “People’s Choice Award” I started thinking about what was so cool about her.

What I Like About Sandra:

• Her movies. Have we just all seen her play Lucy in “While You Were Sleeping,” a 1995 movie? She was convincing as she fell in love with her “sleeping” pretend boyfriend and then falls for the brother.
  
  Or Lucy again in “Two-Week Notice” a 2002 movie with co-star Hugh Grant. Remember when she laid prostrate on the street to stop a bulldozer from flattening a historical site in her protest as an environmental lawyer?
  
  “ The Proposal” was such a reminder of her 1995 movie as once again she falls in love with the family of her pretend fiancé and once again leaves the alter with a moment of truth and confession.
  Now there are critics who say her only good movies were “Speed” and “Crash,” but you have to admit, she has been very entertaining portraying the girl-next-door type that has been so endearing.
   
• An un-traditional life. Well, I’m sure it is difficult living a traditional lifestyle while, well, being famous and all, but her path has really not been any type of cookie cutter life. She traveled with her German opera singing mom throughout Europe as a child, married at age 41, and her husband is completely unexpected character for a gal who sang opera growing up. And as of today, she hasn’t borne a baby, but it would not surprise me if in the next couple years we do hear that she is pregnant.
  
  
• Her many hairstyles. From long, bushy, and out of control to short, straight, and sassy, Sandra has had her hair cut, colored, and styled so many different ways. I also have to admit, I have brought in a photo of Bullock twice to my hair dresser and she has tried to copy the style and look, although it never looks the same. My naturally crazy hair, just can't match her straight, perfect hair.
  
  
• Mishaps do occur to her too. She was in an airplane crash, her new house was deemed unlivable, a fan tried to run her husband over, and she was in a head on car collision. Not that I would want anything to happen to her, it just reveals that she also puts on her pants one leg at a time.
  
  
• Her honesty. When Sandra spoke of her “naked” scene in the Proposal she confessed that her body has been of all different sizes and she finds it humorous and uses it to entertain not impress.
  
  
• Her age. Of all the great aspects about Sandra, it is her age that I appreciate the most. I know we should not just like someone for their age, but she makes being 45 look good. When you think of someone at that age, you don’t think main stream. You start thinking maybe a bit of grey hair, wrinkling skin, out dated attire. Although at 45 years old she looks good and hip. She is older than I am and she actually makes me feel okay about my age (and she looks younger than me!) 

Have you read those articles that tell you what not to do after age 40? I saw a list when my husband and I were mulling lazily around in a basement bookstore in San Francisco: * don’t get a tattoo. * don’t wear a thumb ring. * don’t wear low-rise pants. * don’t wear fishnet stockings.

Okay, they are all negotiable and it makes me want to go out and get another tattoo and wear a thumb ring – I just might do that. But the great thing about all those years is that I finally know how to dress my body. I know what colors look good on me, to avoid boat neck shirts, that low-rise pants are more comfortable, and that “kitten-heel “shoes are as high as it is going to go.

 I also learned not to take life so seriously and my emotional state is so much more stable (among other things that I will talk about on another post).

In the recent movie, “It’s Complicated,” Meryl Streep at age 60 plays a woman with a love interest. Awesome. This article here talks about how her flowy clothes and longer hair are ways they kept this gal chic.

Today I managed to sneak myself down to the outlet mall near the Mexico border. I hit my favorite store first, JCrew. I have been a JCrew fan since I was 18 when I saved my fruit sorting money to order one of their famous rugby’s. I am such a JCrew fan, although I have never bought an item for full price. While in the store, I was next to another lady rummaging through the racks. She complained that they were getting low on their inventory and we chatted a bit. She had grey hair and looked hip. She was retired, a grandma, and still shopping JCrew. Cool. So I don’t have to give up that store when I turn a certain age.

What does age matter anyway? Men seem to be getting great movie roles and CEO positions no matter what their age, where women have been known not to be able to get a job after their 30’s in the movie business, but I also hear women in their sixties after being one of the first to be laid off in their jobs during this economic time and not being able to get hired for another position.

I know it is all around, but you have to think there is some truth to that. Age can be so limiting and box one into a compartment, but I think the women who have forged before us are showing us a new youthful process to aging. Expectations are being chattered and all is changing.

I have been preoccupying too much of my thoughts on my age since I turned 25. I just can’t let my age keep me from being, doing, and dressing the way I want. I just need to keep living everyday to the fullest, no matter the age.

So for Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep, three of my friends who just turned 50, and the many other women who have gone before us in making age look cool, thank you.

How has age changed your perspective and attitude on life?

Other articles: Salina Scott

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