Age of Unlimited Possibilities
My nan, Margaret, became a grandmother at fortyfour, and the moment she did she seemed to slip neatly into the role. No, she didnt wander about with a daisychain hat and a cane, and even in her later years she kept a tidy, dignified appearance. I still remember the one summer we stitched a bright scarlet dress for a doll together. I was thrilled and asked, Would you like a dress like that? She laughed and said, Me? Im a grandma! That Im a grandma became her mantra. As soon as the first grandchild arrived, she slipped into the box society had drawn for her, and she lived inside it for the rest of her days, just like every other lady in her circle.
Nowadays I hear the overforty crowd sigh, What a load of troubles weve inherited, and the world keeps changing! Yet its precisely that generation that has smashed the old agerelated rules and expectations. Imagine, for a second, calling a woman just over forty a grandma. Shes still a lovely young lady, maybe not fresh as a spring rose, but certainly still a lady. Her mindset is tuned to youth, not the other way round.
I tried it once and the doctor said, Give it four days and youll be back on your feet! In todays world you can only guess a womans age, and sometimes you need a few clues to work it out. I often pop into a tiny café on Abbey Road, where the barista, a petite, graceful girl named Emily, already knows my coffee order. Shes got the look of a freshoutofuni graduate. One day I walk in and see a hulking bloke, two metres tall, leaning over the counter. I wonder if hes her boyfriend after all, shes practically a Daffodil in his eyes. He bends, plants a kiss on her cheek, and then, in a deep voice, asks, Mum, could you spare a couple of hundred pounds? If Id been told he was her son, Id have been far less surprised.
The best thing about modern women is that they get to pick whatever look and age feels right. One day it might be braids and a tiny tattoo near the bikini line, the next it could be Louboutins and a plunging dress, then maybe trainers and ripped jeans, or lemonyellow blouses, slim skirts, and straw hats for each season. And yes red dresses, even mini ones with daring zippers running down the back, are perfectly acceptable, without anyone raising an eyebrow. If someone does, she simply shrugs and says, I couldnt care less.
Remember that old saying, If youth only knew, if age could? Its vanished. The middleaged crowd has whited it out like a freshlaundered tablecloth. We all know a lot now, yet were still keen to try new things. This generation drifts between the oldtimers who push back and the youngsters who watch warily a ship sailing on its own, thrilled by each adventure.
Heres the latest revelation Ive just had, which Im eager to share: age does not limit possibilities; it expands them. We dont need to search for ourselves any more; weve already found who we are, and now we happily polish our crafts or experiment with fresh techniques that bring joy. We no longer feel obliged to mingle with everyone; our mission is to keep close those who beat in sync with our hearts. We can afford the luxury of pleasant company rather than the necessity of mere socialising. In love and intimacy we chase quality, having learned that numbers cant replace it, and we can hand youth a hundred extra points with a smile.
Weve stopped trying to rush children into adulthood because weve seen how fast it already happens. Instead we savor their childhood, filling it with the things we missed ourselves. Weve accepted that money cant buy happiness, health, or loyalty, and that the road to a goal often matters more than the destination. If you cant enjoy the journey, the finish line wont thrill you either. Weve learned from our own blunders, felt how quickly time flies, and now the canvas of life is sketched out its just the right moment to add the fine details and graceful strokes that turn a painter into a master and his work into a masterpiece.
When you finally get that, you realise that right now your possibilities are boundless. You could learn to tango, belt out a song, pluck a harp, pick up a new language, dive with a regulator, try horseback riding, ski, or rollerblade. You might blow glass ornaments, drive a car, paint Christmas baubles, paddle a kayak, piece together a mosaic, keep bees, spruce up a playground, throw pottery, stitch with beads or ironon appliqués, bake scrumptious cupcakes, ferment cabbage, or roll out homemade pasta. You could travel and see with your own eyes the places youve only heard about, adopt a dog or a third cat, shoot your own short film, step onto a stage, move to the countryside, or finally start that hobby youve postponed for years. You might lose yourself in a new romance, welcome another baby, or simply stroll alone through a park path, letting the mist veil the world while you sip a steaming mug of chocolate coffee or lemonscented tea, savoring each sip of the drink, the autumn, life itself.
We now understand that time isnt endless, so we must cherish our age of unlimited possibilities all the more.
