Sunday 27 April 2008

Being the oldest person at the party.

I cleaned my room! How satisfying to complete that task. I bought three cheep pantry cupboards to store all my fabric in which means it is no longer in bags on the floor or in my wardrobe , so now my clothes fit nicely where they belong. I also did a bit of a wardrobe cull and will drop it off to the good sammy's.

I went to a party last night. I almost didn't go. I wasn't sure that I'd know anyone beside the birthday girl. I know her partner a bit. She is 5 years younger than I and he is a good deal younger than her! I knew that in all likelihood that the people there would all be in their 20's! I'm in my 40's. I started to feel worried about being the oldest one there. I changed 4 times and even put on makeup, which I rarely wear nowadays, age rewind foundation! I was feeling fat, frumpy, forty and fragile! But I pushed myself to go.

When I got there I was in fact the oldest one there and the group turned out to be extremely clicky. There were not that many people there. I felt quite awkward for some time. I missed not smoking at that point as those times I felt ill at ease were times I used to smoke most. I didn't feel like the nicotine just the cigarette!

Finally I got an opportunity to start chatting to the birthday girl's brother and sister's partners. Bonding in our mutual lack of connection with anyone else at the party. As we chatted I mentioned my children. The fellow looked at me and asked "how old are you?"
"Um, 42 nearly 43."
"Really!?"
"Really in a good way or bad?" He was surprised he thought I was younger - thank god! He was 35 and the brother's girlfriend was 22.
"I think I might be the oldest one here."
He looked around "... yep!"

A life milestone- being the oldest person at a party! After that he kept calling me mum! But it was said in such a lighthearted warm way that I could not take offense. When will I be the wisest at the party also and not be concerned with what others think about how I look on the outside because it didn't concern me about them. I was looking for warmth and friendliness, not visual attractiveness.

2 comments:

fifi said...

hellooo there red hen,
thank you for visiting. Its nice to have a new friend.

I'm sort of used to being the oldest at an outing, because one of my closest friends is so much younger than me. We share a studio together. We worked out that I could have given birth to her, so her nickname is love-child.
She often introduces me as her love mother who had to give her up at birth.... certainly puzzles people, that one.

Your house looks so lovely with all the beautiful flowers and china. And you are so clever making all those things...

Jacinta said...

This is very funny. I turned 40 last year and still feel like I am in my low 30's. I have been in similar situations and felt like saying "I'm not THAT much older you know, life isn't THAT different from here!"

Of course this would only go to convince them otherwise. Fun times.