Yesterday, someone stopped me on the road, someone I had not talked to for a while. She wanted to know all about the family. And she said to me: "And you don't look any older!" It was supposed to be a joke. But we both knew that I looked a lot older than last time we spoke and she was not telling me that I looked well preserved.
Not long ago a young person said to me: "Are you sad? You look sad." In fact, I was not sad, I was just driving the car along thinking nothing much. I have to say, I just look like that now, with parts drooping in the face, when I'm not talking or smiling. Or people will say: "You look tired." And I have to say, "I am not tired, I just look this way, now." This is what can happen when you are moving gradually toward 50. (Still some time to go.) But I am grateful.
People will have to get used to the way I look and I will have to get used to them saying things that are not flattering. It is humbling and there will be more of this as we get older yet.
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