Think of the dirty words you were never supposed to say while you were growing up. No matter how many you come up with, I’ll bet the word age wasn’t among them. It is now. Age has become a dirty word.

None of us wants to age. Or at least, we don’t want to look like we’re aging. Instead, we’re reversing age. Redefining age. Trying not to look our age. Getting lifted, pulled, injected, lasered, abrased and plumped.

One of the most reassuring compliments we can get these days is “You don’t look like ______”, the age we actually are. We breathe deeply, relieved that our efforts to not “look our age” is holding for another day.

In a terrific article in the St Louis Post, Patricia Mclaughlin asks “why is it plausible to assume that getting old — something every single one of us is doing at every single moment of our lives — is so appallingly shameful that every woman over 40 should be willing to jump through hoops to pass for 10 years younger than however old she is?” http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/columnists.nsf/patriciamclaughlin/story

In 1996, when the first baby boomers reached their 50th birthday, a Harris survey reported that one of their top priorities was for science to find a cure for aging and dying. Maybe it’s working. A new Allstate ad claims that Hallmark sold 85,000 ‘Happy 100th Birthday! cards last year.

Who knows how far science will have come when the boomers become centenarians. One thing is certain. We’ll still want to look 10 years younger. That means100 will be the new 90, and we all know how sexy that can be!

This entry was posted on Friday, February 1st, 2008 at 2:43 pm. Visit the archives for all blog posts.