I'm old but am I different?

Until a few days ago I had never read a blog. Then I saw a reference to one in an article I was reading and decided to check it out. This led to my browsing through different blogs. Some I found interesting and thought provoking and others of interest only to the writers but one had a sentence that immediately caught my attention and led me to pondering about people's perceptions of others and that ultimatly led to my deciding to start my own blog.

The blog I'm referring to was by a thirty something soccer mom and she was talking about some of the blogs that were written by senior citizens. She was saying how interesting they were and she recommended a few that she had enjoyed. Now there's nothing wrong with that but it was her statement that others should read these blogs by senior citizens if they wanted to learn about a different lifestyle. Now, admittedly, I'm a little sensitive about my age and her attitude is one of the reasons. What makes her think that just because I've gotten to be seventy that my lifestyle is that much different than hers .

Maybe my appearance is different as the perception is that age brings wrinkles, sags and gray hair, but gray hair doesn't always mean advanced age - Steve Martin for example, plus I bet there's a bottle of Clairol in many a thirty-something's bathroom. As for the wrinkles etc botox and plastic surgery have eliminated that perception look at Joan Rivers, Burt Reynolds and more than likely your neighbor down the street. The blue-haired bingo goer isn't even used as a steretype in ads anymore. In fact if Demi Moore and Mary Tyler Moore are any indication of what's going on out there we could well end up being your kids' stepmom.

Let's get back to lifestyle. This perception that my lifestyle would be so different just because I'm a senior citizen that it would be of interest to others to study has me stumped. Too bad that Margaret Mead didn't know about this wealth of anthropological studies in her own backyard. It would have saved her from having to endure all that discomfort in Samoa. Now it's true that Soccer Mom's life revolves around her job, her kids and maybe a husband but according to statistics an alarming number of children are being raised by grandparents and even great-grandparents who shuttle children back and forth to activities plus they have gone back to work to put food on the table and clothes on the backs of these children. Even if we do not have the burden of grandchildren we are very likely caring for OUR parents who are living into their 90's and 100's. My mother is 93 and my husband's is 100. There is not a lot of difference in caring for a 3 year old and a 93 year old with dementia. So Soccer Mom enlighten me. How is my lifestyle so different from yours?

Hello

Hello, I'm new to blogging and I'm still trying to sort everything out. I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts and ideas with anyone who happens to stumble upon this blog. If you happen to be the stumbler, I hope that you'll drop me a note and let me know something about you or direct me to your blog.