Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Celebrating the 30s

As I near the end of my own 30s, I have a friend who's turning the big 3-0 today.

What is it about ageing? (I'm not even going to start with the big MLC!) When I turned 30, I was in Korea, so it actually happened when I was 28. 'Twas no big deal. I also grew up with a dad who wasn't mentally old until his health caught up with him -- about 80. Mom was 24 years younger than him, and has still forgotten to age. (So why is it that my sister is all weird about her age? She still tries to tell people she's 29!)

Anyway, back to my friend. This morning I searched for some positive statements on 'women turning 30' and in 10 pages of Google hits, only got 2 that were mostly upbeat about moving out of the 20s. The 'oh no, my life is ending' tune that everyone sings is really just annoying.

People! The 30s are better than the 20s!

Proof #1
People take you seriously now.

Proof #2
You've survived your 20s and no longer need to learn things like how to pay bills, how to apply for a job, how to dump a guy gently. (Okay, so you may need refresher courses, but you've done the 100 levels.)

Proof #3
You'll no longer annoy older people with your "I discovered sex" attitude. We can invite you to parties now.

Proof #4
In this day'n'age, you can continue to do the things you enjoy. It's not like you have to give up rock climbing, beer swilling, and movie collecting...you may just find you prefer a better brand of beer.

Ack. I could go on, but I won't, because I'm finding that I'm the other cliché: a 30-something pontificating on the 20s.

Ah well.

Happy Birthday!

Lori

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was very amused by turning 30. It sounded so much older than how I felt. I threw myself a party.

So far, I've enjoyed my 30s. I'm all over your proof numbers 2 and 4. Still waiting a bit for #1. But perhaps I need to take myself seriously first? I'm not ready for that.

lifeflaw said...

No wonder why I feel I am thirty already... My brain is to used to rounding numbers and now I round my age to thirty! OK not funny. :P

Lori said...

@alejna
I'm saying that others take you seriously...you don't have to!

@ahmad
Don't worry, I still like you!

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed my 30s. The forties were.... interesting. In 2 years I'll be 50 and I expect an enormous party. ((looks expectantly at Lori))

But pontificating to people ten years younger is one of the perks of getting older.

Metro said...

Now that I'm getting older, I still annoy people with my "I discovered sex ... again ... today!" rap.

Memory loss can do great things for the ego ...

Lori said...

@pj
okay, okay! Gads. Such pressure. (I'll be in the senile 40s myself then, I may forget!)

@metro
Ah, your memory problems are legendary!