We’ve heard the jokes about young, pony-tailed hotties who tilt their noses at the middle-aged, somewhat pudgy 40+somethings. These “mature” women have been heard to snap . . .
“If they’re yours, they’ll drop, too.”
“This is what childbirth can do.”
“Studies have shown that rolling your eyes causes cataracts.”
And who could forget Kathy Bates’ line from the Boomer Cult Classic Fried Green Tomatoes,
“Face it girls, I’m older and I have more insurance.”
Of all the things midlife and menopause can bring to women, one of the most valuable traits is a heightened sense of humor.
By the time we reach middle age, there have been numerous opportunities to see the humor in just about every aspect of life. Haven’t we all wondered how we magically know when we can no longer put on panty hose or socks while standing up? You didn’t understand when your Mom used to make those unintelligible noises after hearing something ridiculous come out of your Dad’s mouth. Well, now you know exactly what those noises mean. And let’s not forget all that is childbirth.
Many women “hit their stride” in middle age and become much more than they ever dreamed they’d become. Do you suppose Candice Bergen envisioned the success of her famed character Murphy Brown? And could Sybil Sheppard have imagined being paired with Bruce Willis as the unforgettable Mattie Hayes in “Moonlighting”. Both these stars continued to expand their repertoires in comedic roles.
Comic relief is often said to provide an age-old cure for diseases of all types. Norman Cousins presents a strong case for the notion that laughter truly is the best medicine. In his book “The Anatomy of an Illness”, Cousins writes, “I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep,” he reported. “When the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would switch on the motion picture projector again and not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free interval.” Granted, this wasn’t the only protocol he used to improve his health, but he assigns a high value to the role that laughter played in his ultimate healing.
Only during the past century have we learned to truly embrace the humor that is part of growing old. Yes, you read the words correctly . . . growing old. If it sounds better to some of you, we can use any of the following “gentler” words . . . maturing, evolving, aging (as in fine wine), blossoming, or the phrase “coming into ourselves”.
The comic strip “Maxine” is a prime example of how our culture has made a comfortable place for humor among boomers. Here’s a brief history of the Queen of Crabby from Maxine.com:
“When Hallmark launched Shoebox in 1986, nobody knew that the crabby character gracing the covers of a few Shoebox cards would become a celebrity. But it didn’t take long to see that Maxine’s irreverent quips about aging, the workplace, retirement, political correctness, and of course sex (or the lack of it) had struck a cord.
Since then, Americans have purchased more than 220 million Maxine greeting cards, and Maxine is still the first and only greeting card character to move from the card isle into popular culture.
Perpetually one of Hallmark’s top-performing characters, today Maxine has her own books, comic strip, calendars, and website. Her likeness—and attitude—have also appeared on everything from t-shirts to paper towels”.
If it is true that art imitates life, and if we can define greeting cards as art (perhaps a bit of a stretch for some), then it stands to reason that middle-age is the beginning of a steady stream of potential subject matter for enough art to fill the Grand Canyon (a favorite boomer vacation destination – fyi).
With just a minor adjustment to the way we look at life, we could easily find humor in every activity of our day, from getting out of bed (slowly) to falling asleep in front of the tv while watching Jay Leno . . . or the 11 O’clock News . . . or your favorite primetime sit-com , , , or the 6 O’clock news.
If you’d like some real-life examples of just how funny midlife can be, check out the stand-up comedienne Mrs. Hughes (www.mrshughes.com). Mrs. Hughes lives in the real world. She’s not in denial about anything.
And there is at least one line from her act that makes you say “That’s exactly what I was thinking!”
Surely there are studies somewhere that show that taking yourself too seriously has been proven to lead to weight gain, cellulite, grey hair, extra hair, no hair, wrinkles, and poor eyesight.
The wise thing to do is avoid the risk and start early. So . . . lighten up.
Posted with permission from the author – Me.
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