Am I Old?

In one of the last conversations I had with my Grandfather he kept harping on how his hands looked old. He complained that his hands reminded him of a 90 year old man. "But PopPop...you are 88 years old...that is why your hands look the way they do". He replied, "Oh..that's right. I keep forgetting that I am old." My grandfather always felt decades younger than his biological age. In most consumer behavior studies it has shown that most individuals view themselves at least ten years younger than their real age. More and more products position themselves to fight off or repair the aging process. The words "age-defying" or "age- correction" are thrown around constantly on consumer products. My question is what products make you feel younger and what is the age that people are considered old?

Personally I am happy to be at my current age (36) and thankful to not have to be the young parent again. I no longer need a minivan, strollers, diaper bags, and have finally entered a part of my life where I can be a bit selfish. I can purchase products based on my likes and not always have to consider the children. Back to the minivan.....no one really desires a minivan. The convenience, storage and cup holders are like a siren song to the newly minted parent. Fortunately I can now purchase a car again to reflect my internal age....a car that is fun, powerful and has a awesome sound system. I have actually felt more like a twenty-something in the last two years than ever before. Perhaps it is because I can actually get sleep (no more sleep deprivation due to babies crying). It is though I have been able to recover some of my youth again in music (no more Wiggles), clothing (No more pregnancy clothes), and cars (the dreaded minivan is long gone).

Age has been a huge issue in our home this year due to the fact my husband turned forty. I sometimes have problems believing that I am married to a forty year old.....is forty old? My husband thinks so. He had a mini mid life crisis. Fortunately it did not result in a corvette, mistress or wild spending sprees. It did make him stop and examine his life. And for that I think aging is priceless. With age comes experience, learning and perspective. A company can't sell that to you...nor can you erase that with some product.

As I push ahead and the wrinkles become more plentiful I wonder how much I will resort to purchasing products to help me fight the aging process. It is hard to age in a society where a 45 year old woman (Demi Moore) looks like one of my freshman students. The best medicine that I have for feeling youthful again is to go do anything with my kids. I get to relive all the fun times with them. Plus it gives me an excuse to go on a roller coaster, jump a wave, ride bikes, and act like a Pirate. If that can't make you feel young...than nothing else can!