Mirror, mirror on the wall...
I saw some pictures from our vacation the other day. Looking at myself, I couldn’t believe it. That fading, flabby, middle-aged woman was me? They say that the camera doesn’t lie, so that means my mirror is the culprit.
It’s a big, fat liar.
When I look in the mirror, I see me. It’s the same me that has stared back since puberty stopped shifting things around. The teenager looking for zits, the young mom checking for baby spit-up in her hair, the career woman applying mascara before work….me, me and me.
My grandmother once said, “I look in the mirror and I wonder how I got in this old woman’s body.” I laughed, but didn’t really understand. I do now.
It’s not that I haven’t noticed the gradual creping of the skin around my eyes, the reddening of my once-porcelain skin, or the sagging of my jaw line. I have. I do. It’s just that I see the essential triangle of my face – eyes, nose and mouth, and it all looks pretty much the same as it ever did. Reassuringly me.
Maybe that’s the thing to remember about this aging business. That the essential self, inside, doesn’t change with age. It only changes if we let it. Or if we want it to. And those changes, the ones that we make happen, can be wonderful.
As for the changing outer package that houses my essential self? Starting today, I’m saving up for a full body lift.
Peg-o-Leg's Ramblings 
Stop it! You NEVER CHANGE!!! I ENVY YOUR YOUTHFUL GOOD LOOKS
CAROL
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Carol, two things I’ve always admired about you. Your warm, generous personality and your extreme far-sightedness. You make a red-tipped cane look good!
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Best. Response. Ever. I will say that we always look at ourselves with harsher eyes than everyone else 🙂
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So true. And Carol is a drop-dead-gorgeous Aunt who decided many years ago to get fit and stay that way. As well as stay interested, connected, alive.
You rock, Carol!
T
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I got some pics back of a recent camping trip and was appalled to come to terms with my true self. Speaking of which – how’s the family contest going?
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Slow but steady for me. I’ll post an update on Monday.
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Peg…you’re beautiful just the way you are! That being said…I have to agree with the mirror! I think I might actually be suffering from REVERSE Anorexia! I look in the mirror and see a thin, fit young girl…then I see pictures of myself and think…”who’s that?” LOL Well, I’m down 8lbs, and plenty more to go, but now I’m on a quest…so you other Richart Girls better watch out! When I get 60 lbs off I’m going to have the doc hang me by my feet and suck and tuck and fill everything back to where it should be! I’m already saving up 🙂
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That’s just what I meant, Lisa. I don’t see all the extra pounds and wrinkles. It’s a big shock when I see photos, I tell you.
8 POUNDS! GACK! Cancelling plans to go out to dinner tonight.
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My mirror is a big fat liar, too. I look the same (in my mind at least) now as I did 40 pounds ago in either direction. Maybe there’s some kind of body image altering coating that they’re using these days to increase mirror sales.
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turn your mirror sideways and you might look a little taller
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I think that would exaggerate the fun-house effect, but I’m willing to try anything!
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I wish they could wash that coating over everybody else’s eyes. Then I wouldn’t have to bother with this dieting torture.
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How’s the family contest going?? Dying for feedback…
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I’ll have the first weeks results on Monday. Stay tuned!
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Come on now, don’t give in to the national obsession with looking artificially young. We’re supposed to look our age! Reminds me that I caught a glimpse of Barry Manilow on a talk show last night – he was so botoxed that only his lower jaw moved up and down while the rest of his weirdly unlined face appeared frozen – it was creepy.
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You just described the Charlie McCarthy ventriloquist dummy I had in 3rd grade.
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I figure that each day is the youngest day of the rest of my life but I totally get your grandmother’s comment about this old lady’s body!
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That’s a good attitude! Kinda depressing in an it’s-all-downhill-from-here kinda way, but still, a good attitude.
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I noticed the other day that although I have mirrors everywhere I never actually look in them! I also try to stay well away from cameras so I don’t have to face the reality of no longer being a 30 something size 8 -10 ( so long ago )
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Yeah, it’s the unfair altering of reality that has me down. It’s not that I want to live in Never-never land. I just want to LOOK as if I did.
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Know the feeling. I wonder if the mirror that Snow White’s step-mother had is on the auction block? Money would be no object!
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A silvered sycophant – perfect, Al! I’m heading over to Ebay to bid, right now.
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My mom said something similar. I laughed her off and said, “You look pretty much the same to me!” If only I could go back in time and share the penultimate paragraph of this entry with her . . . !
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Mom’s do tend to look just the same to us as they age. Maybe because we look at them with the blinders of love.
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You are beautiful and gorgeous just the way you are. Now, let’s get real. Did you ever walk past a mirror somewhere, not realizing it was a mirror and you see the person and think something like “Oh, boy, there’s a little old lady!” and then you realize you are it?
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Not quite little old lady – more big, ole middle-aged lady. But yeah; been there, seen that horrific vision. And don’t forget, you’re beautiful inside and out, Renee!
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Peg-it’s what is inside that counts and you got that in spades!!!!!!!!! Go out to eat and enjoy life-within reason and of course, that is the trick we girls have trouble doing. Hide those Dove bars again so you never find them or share them in the office and they will be gone in no time. Congrat’s to Lisa in the big loss!
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I KNOW I’ve got lots of insides – that’s what stretching my skin all out of shape on the outside.
What do you mean, congrats to Lisa? This is WAR! Don’t you get that? Take no prisoners, to-the-death WAR! (Thanks for the sweet words, sis. Luv ya!).
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War is right! As for Mirrors, I see the same triangle you do, Peg. Time…
My jeans feel much more comfortable than they did 2-3 weeks ago so I am heartened.
Still need more exercise but joined a motel weight room/pool deal, close to home. We’ll see if I can stop watching Wimbledon and start exercising!
By the way, next Mon., June 27th, will be end of WK 2, technically. Stay tuned…
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I’ve found two strategies that work well for me – I take all the photographs when we are on vacation and I removed most of the light bulbs from around the mirror which results in a much softer, flattering image of me. That, and I don’t buy into all this beauty industry/anti-aging crap. Men have grey hair and expanding waist lines but you don’t see them lining up for make-overs!
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I’ve tried removing all the light bulbs, but came to work with mascara on my nose. I don’t buy into all that aging crap either – in theory. In practice…
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I feel your pain, Peggy…I’ve hated having my picture taken for about the last three years…that bloody double-chin always shows, and every bulge I have is accentuated! Yikes! Sadly, my days of eating everything I wanted to are gone!
Wendy
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I never had those days of eating everything I want, Wendy. It is sad to have to count one’s chins in pictures, I know.
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