I still remember that in the days of my grandmother and my mother, a fifty-year-old woman was considered old. They even dressed demurely according to her age.
However, in my profession as a social worker I was able to observe how the woman was changing her perspective regarding her age and looks. I worked in senior centers and loved watching the dynamics of many of the women. I no longer saw in them the image of my grandmother or my mother. They were mostly active women who exercised, danced, played dominoes, dressed however they wanted, and broke stereotypes. I was also witness to several weddings and romances in the two centers that I worked for, and I can tell you that they were novel style.
I wondered, what will I be like at that age? Today that I am of age, my answer to my own question is that the soul does not age if one so proposes. Society establishes roles that are no longer applicable at this time. The woman, no matter her age, has every right to live life to the fullest and in her own way. As long as other people are not harmed, age should not be an impediment to making dreams come true.
Society criticizes, marginalizes and even laughs at the woman who live free of prejudice.
It doesn’t bother me, and I admire women like me who don’t stop to cry for what they will say. We have paid our dues to society, and this is our time. It’s time to let the world know that the terms used to classify the elderly have changed.
Maria M. Garcia, BA, MA
