signs of aging (lyn)

I call a friend on her birthday the other day.  She’s 61.   “Lyn, we are old.  If we were described in the paper, they would describe us as elderly.”  

A man disappears in New York and he’s 61.  I subscribe to a New York City email notification system that tells me about street closings, emergency detours, subway changes, and apparently missing people.  Notification of a 61-year-old missing person comes as a Silver Alert.

I have something in my left eye.  I thought I was seeing a snarl in my hair until I realized that my hair was nowhere near my eyes.  I go to my ophthalmologist whom I haven’t seen in two years.  My eyes are healthy and yes, I do have a small floater.  He tells me not to worry, over time my brain will adjust to it and it’s likely that it will be “pushed down” and I won’t see it anymore.  “What causes floaters?” I ask.  “They're mostly related to age,” I’m told, “ and about 70% of people will, at some point in their lives, have them.”  Now I’m one of them. 

So, feeling old and blind (my pupils are dilated and I can’t see), I leave the doctor’s and stop by Bloomingdales, which is nearby.  It is the first day of their final winter sale-an additional 50% off. I can’t resist.  The prices are ridiculous…over 90% off.  I end up getting a gorgeous, form-fitting black jersey dress by Donna Karan, marked down from $1,995 to $179.55. 

 Then I see a spectacular $798 taupe jersey ruched skirt reduced to $62.55.  Here it is in red:

As I am debating if yet another dress may be too tight, a customer passing by says, “You have an amazing body.” Still not sure, I ask a foreign man in his late 60’s or so, and he offers his opinion of the dress:  “You look sex,” he says.  I think he means sexy, but I'll take either.

My eyes may be old, newspapers may refer to me as elderly, the city may describe me as a “silver” person, but at least somewhere I feel young again.  Another good reason to stay thin.