Love the article, and I’m a very young looking Gen X-er (‘73) who still gets carded for buying anything! I’ve had, in the past four years, been denied tobacco, had managers called over to possibly seize my ID for attempted alcohol purchasing with a false license.
And I agree with the subject of loving the skin you’re in, and taking care of it… unless I’m fashion unaware to the point I missed the memo that leather hide skin was going to be all the rage two years from now?
Hilarious about having your ID almost seized! I've gotten some strange looks when I've responded with "wow, thank you!" when getting carded. Although admittedly it happens less and less now that the ol' grey roots are making themselves known... 🧓
I want grey hair, all grey… But so far only a few silver strands have appeared. To which I’ve gotten the “wow, you’ve got early greys…” Yes, part of me gets a huge ego boost, it often makes for great free facial blush, while eliciting the same type of comment (“wow, thank you” or “Really? You are too sweet”)
On the flip, however when I was young, 14 even, I looked much older and didn’t get carded (shhhh!) then the reversal began at about 35. Alas, this gift was nothing I actually did other than maybe avoid certain substances that can horribly impact your body, skin especially. Great matrilineal genetics. 😆
Embrace those greys, m’lady - you have earned each and every one! ❤️
Love the anniversary tale. I get a lot of gasps when I talk about my previous marriage of almost a decade, and just celebrated twenty years with my current beau. Totally understand! Your story was had way more humor factor. I bet you walked away with a big ol’ grin! 😄
And yup, garden hose water, tap water… We are the generation that feels the pain every time we have to pay for bottled water. That stuff should be free!! Our elders didn’t know How spot on they were when they gripped about rising prices for everything, that nothing was made like it used to be, and soon we’d be charged for water to drink… yup, spot on, [Great] Uncle Waiter! 🙂❤️
Now that my stripes exist, no more carding. I’m ‘73 also. There was a hilariously crazy thing when I worked in healthcare. The nurses were gossiping about their anniversaries and how long they’d been married. They shouted “when’s your anniversary, how long ya been married” as I walked by, running it all together like one word. I shouted back “May 31 22 years” in the same fashion. There was dead silence. I stopped. “…what…”
Them: “Were you a child bride?”
“WHAT. NO. I got married at 23!”
“YOU’RE IN YOUR FORTIES??????? We thought you were *maybe* 35”
It’s well water, hose water, firecracker dust, and AZ lake water. Desert Dust in general, too. Fuck micellar water and rose water and whatever else water.
So I’m 59, and I don’t try to hide that fact. But some of these young people do look alarming old! I do believe the crazy skin-care routines are harming them. Less is more. Shit, I mostly use Aldi face cream. I use it because it’s cheap AF, just like me!
And yeah, I vacillate between being really proud of how much I make from my writing — more than average — and then remembering I’d be making more if I scored a FT job at Taco Bell. Plus, I’d likely get free tacos. (I’m getting no free tacos from this gig.)
One day I’ll give up the substack/medium/novels/freelance life in favor of chalupa life.
I am a baby boomer. We started out with makeup, hair turned to plastic with hairspray, high heels, pencil skirts, etc. But then we rebelled and became the poster kids for no makeup, long, flowing hair, the braless look, sandals, earth shoes, and other more foot-friendly wear, etc. You can thank us for starting all that.
Boomer who looks 20 years younger. (It runs in the family ). Milk aging is due to excessive hubris and incessant whining. Curdles every thing , don’t you know.
You speak as if being born in 1983 or 84 was eons ago…
I was born in 1969.
Gen X here, and I need to know why I look & feel like I was born in the 80’s or 90’s? I don’t understand how GenZ and Millennials consider themselves old??
Seriously. Do yall think GenXers have one foot in the grave? Or do we look like wrinkled hags that should be in elder care facilities!?! lol! Just wait till you turn 50!! It gets even more confusing because everyone all start to look like they’re in high school!
Ha. Born in '56. This is another chapter in the book (love you Dad) entitled "Who Gives A Shit?" What's it about, you ask? Who Gives A Shit? Ergo, another chapter in the book.
I'm still working by the way. Yes, I need the income, but I also need the feels I get from serving the public in my small city. They have no clue how old I am :D
This one isn't about Gen Xers (but I did write about them recently!) more the comparison between two generations in comparison. We don't look old, but there does seem to be a visual difference between us. :)
I’ll be 62 next month. I’m paying the price for not wearing sunscreen when I was a young ‘un. I’ve had three basal cell and one squamous cell skin cancers removed so far. My mom is 90 (I got my fair skin from her!), and she’s had three melanomas and who knows how many basal cell cancers removed. Please, please use sunscreen (and put it on your kids, too, those years are when most of the damage is done!).
I'm sorry to hear that! But it's not surprising since you're fair skinned and came from a sunscreenless generation. I hope you don't have any more at least! But yes, we should all be wearing sunscreen.
This! Everyone should wear sunscreen, regardless of their skin tone. Melanin only protects you from sunburns—it does not stop radiation damage from UV rays that cause cancer.
Looking like my Gen X age? Hmmm. I really have nofuks to give to anyone on that score - As long as all the whiffy bits are covered, no holes gaping letting in the cold and I don't stink, I'm all good for public exhibition. I dress for me - don't give a rats ass for anyone else's opinion now that I am blissfully, finally, "invisible" - at my age, I know there ain't no one checking me out.
I can let out my gut, take a deep breath, relax and luxuriate in being in the moment. 'Cause yesterdays gone and tomorrow is all ego - there is just "Now".
As for tanning, once I figured out riding a m/c was the only activity I was half-arsed at at, I laid in all the appropriate leather/technical fiber protective gear and have never bothered with exposing the rest of my pasty corpus during the shiny months - my usual accidentally tanned bits are the back of my neck, my wrists and the bridge of my nose. Its been a relief - no more burn, peel, repeat. I'll not have an old age with twice a year dermatologist sessions burning/cutting off skin sarcomas and melanomas
After being on a bike, the second best place to be is a shaded patio, with a cold bevvie, some shared snacks and my laughing friends.
My boss's daughter is 18 and I was wondering why she wears so much make up that she actually looks older. But not in a good way. I saw her when she was 15, and she was just a girl. Now she just looks weird. I'm 50 and look amazing. HAHAHA!
Ah, yes, leather hide skin. Boomer here. When I was a kid, very fair skinned, I used to fight my mom constantly over sunscreen (and this is when SPF 4 was the strongest you could buy!). Hated it. Fast-forward to age 19 and we’re visiting my uncle in California. His neighbor comes over to borrow something, wearing a swimsuit. Great body, fantastic tan, skin and face of a hard 75 years. After she leaves, Mom asks if Uncle knows how old the woman is. “32.” I about fell out of my chair. And decided that sunscreen was not such a bad thing!
I agree, this strange. I remember when I was young and it was said that we looked much younger than previous generations and, for some reason(s), does it seem like the pendulum has swung the other way.
I don’t think this, whatever we should call it, is without exceptions, but can it be about perfection?
I wonder if chasing the perfection is the cause. I feel that the young could be less perfect back in the days, where tumbling around and getting hurt was accepted by our parents, like climbing a tree was something that could be done with positive bravado, trying to shape a piece of wood with a knife was acceptable despite the likelihood of cuts since the cuts didn’t matter much anyway.
So maybe this is our faults for protecting, over regulating and helping the younger ones being more sophisticated and mature than we were?
She looks awful; you look naturally beautiful. You have great skin, a lovely smile, and are a real person instead of a blowup doll in an artificial mask.
I’m a boomer. I refer to anyone under 60 as “kid”.
Boomer here too…December 58.
Both my sibs are boomers as well.
Me Too 🤣✌️!
Me, too, Jon! ☺️
I’m 58 and still catch myself assuming people think I’m just some young kid who doesn’t know anything.
They are half right. I won’t specify which half.
Looks like a lot of people agree with you 😆
It’s all a matter of perspective, Robin, and I really enjoy yours.
I was just thinkin the same damn thing. 😄
Great article !
Love the article, and I’m a very young looking Gen X-er (‘73) who still gets carded for buying anything! I’ve had, in the past four years, been denied tobacco, had managers called over to possibly seize my ID for attempted alcohol purchasing with a false license.
And I agree with the subject of loving the skin you’re in, and taking care of it… unless I’m fashion unaware to the point I missed the memo that leather hide skin was going to be all the rage two years from now?
Thanks for another winner of a post. 👍😊❤️
You still get carded? Pfft, you bitch. I wish lol. I haven't been carded in far too long.
Let's just hazard a guess that leather-hide skin won't be all the rage, ever. 😆
Hilarious about having your ID almost seized! I've gotten some strange looks when I've responded with "wow, thank you!" when getting carded. Although admittedly it happens less and less now that the ol' grey roots are making themselves known... 🧓
I want grey hair, all grey… But so far only a few silver strands have appeared. To which I’ve gotten the “wow, you’ve got early greys…” Yes, part of me gets a huge ego boost, it often makes for great free facial blush, while eliciting the same type of comment (“wow, thank you” or “Really? You are too sweet”)
On the flip, however when I was young, 14 even, I looked much older and didn’t get carded (shhhh!) then the reversal began at about 35. Alas, this gift was nothing I actually did other than maybe avoid certain substances that can horribly impact your body, skin especially. Great matrilineal genetics. 😆
Embrace those greys, m’lady - you have earned each and every one! ❤️
Love the anniversary tale. I get a lot of gasps when I talk about my previous marriage of almost a decade, and just celebrated twenty years with my current beau. Totally understand! Your story was had way more humor factor. I bet you walked away with a big ol’ grin! 😄
And yup, garden hose water, tap water… We are the generation that feels the pain every time we have to pay for bottled water. That stuff should be free!! Our elders didn’t know How spot on they were when they gripped about rising prices for everything, that nothing was made like it used to be, and soon we’d be charged for water to drink… yup, spot on, [Great] Uncle Waiter! 🙂❤️
Now that my stripes exist, no more carding. I’m ‘73 also. There was a hilariously crazy thing when I worked in healthcare. The nurses were gossiping about their anniversaries and how long they’d been married. They shouted “when’s your anniversary, how long ya been married” as I walked by, running it all together like one word. I shouted back “May 31 22 years” in the same fashion. There was dead silence. I stopped. “…what…”
Them: “Were you a child bride?”
“WHAT. NO. I got married at 23!”
“YOU’RE IN YOUR FORTIES??????? We thought you were *maybe* 35”
It’s well water, hose water, firecracker dust, and AZ lake water. Desert Dust in general, too. Fuck micellar water and rose water and whatever else water.
Born in ‘83? Robin the elder?
Hahahahaha. Stop it, you’re killing me.
I'm an elder to the chittlins 😆
Chittlins? Would that be creek washed or stump whupped? Ha
So I’m 59, and I don’t try to hide that fact. But some of these young people do look alarming old! I do believe the crazy skin-care routines are harming them. Less is more. Shit, I mostly use Aldi face cream. I use it because it’s cheap AF, just like me!
And yeah, I vacillate between being really proud of how much I make from my writing — more than average — and then remembering I’d be making more if I scored a FT job at Taco Bell. Plus, I’d likely get free tacos. (I’m getting no free tacos from this gig.)
One day I’ll give up the substack/medium/novels/freelance life in favor of chalupa life.
'Cheap AF, just like me' 😆, we need that on a bumper sticker or something.
There are shockingly few free tacos as a writer. Long live the chalupa life!
I did the math today, determined I actually earn more as a writer than a Taco Bell chalupa chef, and wrote about it for The Indie Author!
You have the most glorious silver hair and I hope mine looks like yours one day!!!
You’re too kind :)
I am a baby boomer. We started out with makeup, hair turned to plastic with hairspray, high heels, pencil skirts, etc. But then we rebelled and became the poster kids for no makeup, long, flowing hair, the braless look, sandals, earth shoes, and other more foot-friendly wear, etc. You can thank us for starting all that.
Thanks Kathy 😆
😉💕
Like the old Olympia beer motto: “It’s the water”.
When we drank out of hoses as a kid it was a rubber hose and not a vinyl hose?🤔
By the way you are aging well. Crow’s feet and laugh lines show character and beauty.
Whatever the hose was made out of...fountain of youth (with a vague taste of dirt and copper).
And thanks :)
Boomer who looks 20 years younger. (It runs in the family ). Milk aging is due to excessive hubris and incessant whining. Curdles every thing , don’t you know.
😆😆
Btw you look way better than she does!
Thanks, although she's beautiful. If it makes her happy, awesome, but sometimes we all need to learn these lessons ourselves I guess.
Absolutely. She's artificially aged herself. Poor dear heart.
Wait. Wait, wait wait one minute.
You speak as if being born in 1983 or 84 was eons ago…
I was born in 1969.
Gen X here, and I need to know why I look & feel like I was born in the 80’s or 90’s? I don’t understand how GenZ and Millennials consider themselves old??
Seriously. Do yall think GenXers have one foot in the grave? Or do we look like wrinkled hags that should be in elder care facilities!?! lol! Just wait till you turn 50!! It gets even more confusing because everyone all start to look like they’re in high school!
Ha. Born in '56. This is another chapter in the book (love you Dad) entitled "Who Gives A Shit?" What's it about, you ask? Who Gives A Shit? Ergo, another chapter in the book.
I'm still working by the way. Yes, I need the income, but I also need the feels I get from serving the public in my small city. They have no clue how old I am :D
This one isn't about Gen Xers (but I did write about them recently!) more the comparison between two generations in comparison. We don't look old, but there does seem to be a visual difference between us. :)
I’ll be 62 next month. I’m paying the price for not wearing sunscreen when I was a young ‘un. I’ve had three basal cell and one squamous cell skin cancers removed so far. My mom is 90 (I got my fair skin from her!), and she’s had three melanomas and who knows how many basal cell cancers removed. Please, please use sunscreen (and put it on your kids, too, those years are when most of the damage is done!).
I'm sorry to hear that! But it's not surprising since you're fair skinned and came from a sunscreenless generation. I hope you don't have any more at least! But yes, we should all be wearing sunscreen.
This! Everyone should wear sunscreen, regardless of their skin tone. Melanin only protects you from sunburns—it does not stop radiation damage from UV rays that cause cancer.
Looking like my Gen X age? Hmmm. I really have nofuks to give to anyone on that score - As long as all the whiffy bits are covered, no holes gaping letting in the cold and I don't stink, I'm all good for public exhibition. I dress for me - don't give a rats ass for anyone else's opinion now that I am blissfully, finally, "invisible" - at my age, I know there ain't no one checking me out.
I can let out my gut, take a deep breath, relax and luxuriate in being in the moment. 'Cause yesterdays gone and tomorrow is all ego - there is just "Now".
As for tanning, once I figured out riding a m/c was the only activity I was half-arsed at at, I laid in all the appropriate leather/technical fiber protective gear and have never bothered with exposing the rest of my pasty corpus during the shiny months - my usual accidentally tanned bits are the back of my neck, my wrists and the bridge of my nose. Its been a relief - no more burn, peel, repeat. I'll not have an old age with twice a year dermatologist sessions burning/cutting off skin sarcomas and melanomas
After being on a bike, the second best place to be is a shaded patio, with a cold bevvie, some shared snacks and my laughing friends.
" As long as all the whiffy bits are covered, no holes gaping letting in the cold and I don't stink" 😆😆 Hilarious.
It sounds like you've got it all figured out now Lee :)
Awesome revenue news!!!
My boss's daughter is 18 and I was wondering why she wears so much make up that she actually looks older. But not in a good way. I saw her when she was 15, and she was just a girl. Now she just looks weird. I'm 50 and look amazing. HAHAHA!
Caked on makeup really does a weird thing to people visually. I'm sure you're a stunning 50.
It's the make up
Ah, yes, leather hide skin. Boomer here. When I was a kid, very fair skinned, I used to fight my mom constantly over sunscreen (and this is when SPF 4 was the strongest you could buy!). Hated it. Fast-forward to age 19 and we’re visiting my uncle in California. His neighbor comes over to borrow something, wearing a swimsuit. Great body, fantastic tan, skin and face of a hard 75 years. After she leaves, Mom asks if Uncle knows how old the woman is. “32.” I about fell out of my chair. And decided that sunscreen was not such a bad thing!
Oooh, solid lesson there. Suddenly mom looked pretty wisdomous about the sunscreen haha
I agree, this strange. I remember when I was young and it was said that we looked much younger than previous generations and, for some reason(s), does it seem like the pendulum has swung the other way.
I don’t think this, whatever we should call it, is without exceptions, but can it be about perfection?
I wonder if chasing the perfection is the cause. I feel that the young could be less perfect back in the days, where tumbling around and getting hurt was accepted by our parents, like climbing a tree was something that could be done with positive bravado, trying to shape a piece of wood with a knife was acceptable despite the likelihood of cuts since the cuts didn’t matter much anyway.
So maybe this is our faults for protecting, over regulating and helping the younger ones being more sophisticated and mature than we were?
She looks awful; you look naturally beautiful. You have great skin, a lovely smile, and are a real person instead of a blowup doll in an artificial mask.