For the past few years I’ve become used to being the oldest person in the room. Going back to grad school at 50 was fun and exciting and stressful and exhilarating all at the same time, but I was almost always the oldest person within sight, in study groups, in classrooms, sometimes even on the bus! And while working in the library I was often older than the other employees. And now, back in the mortgage industry I’m for sure the oldest person in my group. It’s just something that I take for granted now after four years.
But last night I had dinner with a group of women to discuss a book and most of them were my age or slightly older. It was a lovely evening, the discussion one I could relate to; talking about the things we’ve noticed about ourselves since we turned 50. It was comforting to know that other women are going through the same things, noticing the ways our hands, hair and bodies are adjusting to five or more decades of life.
Not having to be hip or young or technically advanced, not to talk about the latest technical gadget or social networking site – that was all comforting. Peaceful even. Of course some of that warm fuzzy feeling came from the three or four bottles of wine we shared.
Giggle.
September 23, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Before I retired and moved up here it seemed I was always the oldest, or near the oldest, in the group too. It gets exhausting sometimes – trying to figure out what on earth all those younger people are talking about. Spending time with people from the same era is relaxing, and sharing wine just makes it more so. What book were you discussing?
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September 23, 2010 at 8:36 pm
Carol – we read Tortilla Curtain by T. Coraghessan Boyle. I recommend it.
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September 24, 2010 at 1:28 am
Glad you had a good time with friends you could relate to. That’s always nice, isn’t it?
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September 24, 2010 at 4:30 am
Sounds like a great time!! Diana
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September 24, 2010 at 5:03 am
Sounds like fun! It’s good to be able to talk with people similar to ourselves, it’s something I miss being up here.
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September 24, 2010 at 5:05 am
My sister has a book club. But I don’t think they’ve ever read the same book or even discussed one at their “meeting”.
I’m glad you had a nice night.
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September 24, 2010 at 5:23 am
Glad you had a nice dinner with some good conversation! Mom used to belong to a book club and they did read the same book and discuss it some, but the best part of the meetings was the off-topic conversations!
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September 24, 2010 at 7:54 am
Glad you have this group, Dawn! I have many friends both older and younger who enrich my life, but there’s something special about spending time with the ones who are around my own age. (Although I’m a little younger than you, I share the experience of having been older than all of my GSIs and some of my professors in library school, and old enough to have been the parent of some of my classmates.)
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September 24, 2010 at 9:19 am
Mom says, ‘CHEERS’.
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September 24, 2010 at 12:03 pm
I think that sounds like a fantastic evening, glad you had a good time!
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September 25, 2010 at 7:05 am
That sounds like a lovely evening. Discussing books, sharing wine, eating dinner…ahhh! That sounds like a night of joy.
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September 25, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Yes, that can be quite relaxing. I hope everything works out for the best.
I will admit that things changed a lot for me during college. Early in life I was in many ways at war with myself. That ended in college, when I realized that almost everyone else was just as screwed up as me. Yes, the others be they the children of doctors, bankers, lawyers or astronauts, we’re just as screwed up than me, and some far worse.
The Collies Dog Dad
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September 25, 2010 at 11:30 pm
Sounds like a fun time 🙂
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