Joy of Being a Woman in Her 70s
nytimes.com
Joy of Being a Woman in Her 70s
1–10 of 78 posts
Re: Joy of Being a Woman in Her 70s
#2> happiness is a skill and a choice.
but worrying about looks is not?
> we feel free from the tyranny of worrying about our looks. For the first time since we were 10, we can feel relaxed about our appearance.
Re: Joy of Being a Woman in Her 70s
#3> happiness is a skill and a choice. but worrying about looks is not? > we feel free from the tyranny of worrying about our looks. For the first time since we were 10, we can feel relaxed about our appearance.
>but worrying about looks is not?
Social pressure is so strong! I don't know if you are a woman or not but from my perspective (as a woman) I am truly grateful for each year I live, as I become less and less worried about my appearance in detail, and more about the expression on my face and my body language - how happy and welcoming I look when I greet people. This knowledge wasn't obvious as a young woman.
Re: Joy of Being a Woman in Her 70s
#4This was a warming read. I’m not a woman. I’m not even in the 70ies. Anyway.
Re: Joy of Being a Woman in Her 70s
#5> happiness is a skill and a choice. but worrying about looks is not? > we feel free from the tyranny of worrying about our looks. For the first time since we were 10, we can feel relaxed about our appearance.
My wife worries about her looks, but only really in the sense of 'Am I going to get harrassed in the streets by skeevy dudes if I wear this?'
Re: Joy of Being a Woman in Her 70s
#6> We all suffer, but not all of us grow. Those of us who grow do so by developing our moral imaginations and expanding our carrying capacities for pain and bliss. In fact, this pendulum between joy and despair is what makes old age catalytic for spiritual and emotional growth.
Never thought of it this way. An extremely humbling, optimistic and heart-warming read.
Re: Joy of Being a Woman in Her 70s
#7Beautiful. And I must say, it looks much the same from the male perspective.
Re: Joy of Being a Woman in Her 70s
#8> happiness is a skill and a choice. but worrying about looks is not? > we feel free from the tyranny of worrying about our looks. For the first time since we were 10, we can feel relaxed about our appearance.
There's a similar dynamic for men. We can also "feel free from the tyranny of worrying about our looks". For one thing, I'm old enough that there's no point in trying to hide it.
But I do get to hide much of my sagging face under a beard. And in my case, it's a totally untrimmed beard (but clean and well brushed). I can pass for old hippie or Duck Dynasty, with just a little tweaking of clothes and language style.
And there's another aspect. I'm also "free from the tyranny of worrying about" what employers and clients think of my looks. Because, for the most part, I don't have or need any. And for the few clients I do have, I'm just some ~anonymous guy who does stuff for Bitcoin.
Re: Joy of Being a Woman in Her 70s
#9> happiness is a skill and a choice. but worrying about looks is not? > we feel free from the tyranny of worrying about our looks. For the first time since we were 10, we can feel relaxed about our appearance.
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Re: Joy of Being a Woman in Her 70s
#10The link on this is showing up as "https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=nytimes.com" for me...