Wild Rover Travels

I rarely use the ‘O’ word. I think how old you are, or how young you are, is a state of mind and partly a result of how you speak to yourself. I aim to evolve, to grow wiser. If you don’t, then you are just fossilized. While still alive.

That’s my dog Sam. He’s grown wiser. He’s learned not to chase deer (well, sometimes), how to walk along the side of the road to avoid cars, the ways of the Cat.

How many older people do you meet who seem to have gained any wisdom? Some seem to get ever more solidified in their opinions. Some just seem to get angrier.

I’m blessed with having fantastic elder role models, my in-laws. Vital and productive, they never seem to run out of the energy required to give to others, embrace life and explore new horizons. It’s good to surround yourself with positive images. We are influenced more than we realize by the company we keep.

The media likes to show us images of women in stellar shape for their ‘age’. Christie Brinkley, Heidi Klum, Elle McPherson. Some people naturally age ‘well’, others have to work at it a little more. However, the message that is sent to women of all ages is still the same. Look good. That’s where your power is. Today’s media, a visual medium, is ever more focused on appearance.Women are under a lot of pressure to fit these stereotypes.

Can money buy youth? It sure can buy the appearance of it. Personal chefs, yoga teachers, masseuses, trainers, expensive cosmetics, plastic surgeons. I’m in favor of being healthy, eating right, exercising. But are these ladies grasping, holding onto something? A feeling of losing their power? The Real Housewives personify this. I see desperation. Desperate Housewives.

The need to belong can result in behaviors that are not always good for us. Subjugating our sense of ourselves, what we know to be true, to the opinions of others. You might lose friends. But, were they really your friends to begin with?

We need to define our power for ourselves. It can be rough, requiring courage and strength. You have to decide who you are and why, and not succumb to the fantasies of others. This can mean that those who are less evolved will judge you. So what?

It’s a power struggle alright. Define your power, keep it and don’t let others decide it for you. Don’t give your power away.