Adventures in Growing Young

Growing up may be tough, but growing young is exhausting. Sure I could sit back and glide through middle age, accepting all the old lady philosophies. As a matter of fact I did try to follow these antiquated guidelines for almost nine of the last ten years.

1. Mature women (ie: over 40) should wear their hair short and neat.
2. Mature women should wear clothing that is stylish but does not accentuate their figure.
3. Mature women should take part in only appropriate hobbies, ie: gardening, golf, sewing, reading, bingo, bridge club etc....

Now I am not saying that women who choose to do one or more of these things are OLD, yet if this is ALL they do then where is the adventure, where is the zest?  Without adventure, without zest it does not matter if you are in your twenties or in your sixties you will feel OLD. Regaining your youthfulness once you have let it lay dormant for a number of years is not an easy task, but it is well worth the energy.

For example last night I attended a local Jazz festival. Now I could have been joined the 'Mature' group sitting on blankets or in comfortable folding lawn chairs, visiting with friends and listening to the music at a SAFE distance from the stage. 

But I didn't, my friend and I stood or maybe I should say danced within four feet of the stage, along with a large crowd of very energetic individuals. I am sure if I had joined the 'Mature' group I probably still would have enjoyed myself. However, I would not have felt the beat of the music, I would not have danced and I certainly wouldn't have felt like I was 25 again.

When I am gone from this world I want my children to tell their grandchildren I really lived as Walter said to the Sheik's great-grandson in Secondhand Lions.

More Jazz Fest photos can be seen here.
Linking up with Say Hi Sunday, hoping everyone is living life to the fullest!