22 April 2013

How perspectives change....

I've been thinking a lot lately about our perspectives on age and how they change over time.

If you are like me, you might remember growing up how much wiser and cooler older people seemed. This was definitely true for me, especially in my teens. Case in point, at age 14 I was besotted with some of our best cricketers of the day, which is why I had such a crush on Chris Cairns for a few years. Plus he was is pretty dreamy. Let's face it, he still got my heart a flutter last week and he's now 42! Seeing him brought back all the old memories of what it felt like to have a teen crush on a much older guy.


And yet I've now realised that he was only ever  6 years older than me, which at this stage of life is a mere blip of an age gap. For example, I now have great friends who are 10 years younger than me and I don't even batter an eyelid at the difference in our ages.

In fact, most of the time I have a hard job reminding myself that I am now in my mid-thirties. Just last week at the airport when I arrived in Christchurch, someone asked me how old I was and the words 34 popped out of my mouth. What the?! I'd only turned 36 two days before - you'd think I should have been able to remember that! Wishful thinking on the part of my subconscious there I think.

Something else that I have been realising is that despite how young I still feel most days (although ask me at 6.30am on a Saturday morning with 2 boys bouncing on the bed around me and you might get a different response!) that actually - I am not as young as I once was.

This was illustrated by meeting 2 people in the last month who I assumed were at least 5 if not 10 years older than me. These were both very attractive women but from my knowledge of their own personal lives and the ages of their kids I had just assumed that they were a lot older.

So I was kind of gobsmacked when through the course of conversations I found out that they were both only 1 year older than me....eeeek! It has made me realise that I am aging along with the rest of the general population. But....gracefully I hope!

 So I'm not quite sure when the perspective shift occurred...and I suddenly went from this young thing thinking everyone was so much older and more mature to this thirty-something who is suddenly realising that those around me who look older and more mature are in fact probably MY AGE.....I gotta admit it's a bit of a shock to the old mind set to get my head around this.

I wonder if that means when I'm 60 (God willing!), I'll be looking at 20 year-olds and thinking how young they look. Logic would say so I guess.

So in light of these thoughts it's appropriate to share a clip that I came across last week - reminding us all there is much more to love about our individuality and the beautiful bodies we have been given to store our souls in and walk this Earth with than we can see ourselves. It doesn't matter what age we feel, or what age we actually are.



Either way, we are more beautiful than we think.


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13 comments :

Barb said...

I can so relate to this - I am quite a bit older than you (gulp 44!!!) and all of a sudden it has just hit me this year about my age and perspectives. Suddenly I have felt really old. Maybe it was finding out last year that a guy a work with was only 23 and I could be his mum that made me feel old....

Love the video (and Chris Cairns) - Just what I needed on a Monday morning.

Catching the Magic said...

I loved that video, fascinating and your post is great!

Unknown said...

That vid is cool x check this one out!!

http://mashable.com/2013/04/18/dove-experiment-parody/

Ange - Tall, Short and Tiny said...

That video makes me cry! Interesting post, I can totally relate xx

Michelle said...

I can totally relate to this Meghan. I also forget how old I am ALL THE TIME! Our bodies age...but our mind feels the same.

Cat said...

In two months time FORTY 4 0 !! !! !! HOW did that creep up on me so fast!
But loving it and embracing it

PaisleyJade said...

I feel old - full stop! :p

Leonie said...

Great post - time and age... slippery suckers...

Sammy said...

Wow that video is humbling. We ARE beautiful. End of story. Women are beautiful.

Rachel Osborne said...

Really lovely piece Meghan, thanks! I am shocking at guessing people's ages, and it definitely is a reflection of how I feel about myself... I keep on wondering when I'm going to feel 'grown-up' - but I have three kids for pete's sake! You are quite gorgeous inside and out Meg xx

Renee said...

Awesome post!! Just Awesome!

dearfutureme... said...

Yikes, I always think Mums seem really old to me still, except I'm about to turn thirty, and loads of Mums are younger than me! They just seem like... women... while I still think of myself as a girl! Love that video - what a eye opener (and a tear jerker!)

Elizabeth said...

Totally get that - the mind keeps telling me I am 20, but the body is starting to loudly disagree... just can't quite find the balance!

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