Back in my 20's, I used to tell people that I wasn't afraid of aging nor a few wrinkles. I would say, "I hope I have laugh lines because that will mean that I've laughed a lot through life." That became one of my mantras, right up there with ...."Heck, no....I'm not afraid to tell you how old I am. I consider it a real blessing that I've made it THIS far."
I'm starting to rethink that first part of my aging philosophy though. I mean, when I signed on for laugh lines, I was thinking of a few little lines heading out from the corner of my eyes. Just a few to add some happy character to my face, you know?
I didn't know that they were going to extend out and around half my face, like cracks in a darn windshield or feathers in angels' wings, if you want to give them a more heavenly metaphor. Goodness, I could provide an angel with its entire wingspan with the lines on this face.
And another thing! Since when did the "saggy baggy elephant" come to live at my house? I don't recall inviting that character inside.
I suppose the culprit is that I tend to be very expressive when I talk and when I laugh. I use my whole face and my entire body. Some well-preserved ladies advocate remaining physically "detached" when going through life.....trying not to move any more muscles in their faces than they have to in order to avoid wrinkles. I guess I could try that but to me, I just look like I'm high on something.
Or I could try that "half-smile" thing where you sort of acknowledge the humor in a situation but not enough to crack a real smile. It might gain me a month or two before another wrinkle sets in.
You know what? Screw that! I've earned every one of these wrinkles and I've had a great time getting them. Laughter and life should both be approached with gusto. Let others Botox themselves rigid. At some point, those faces are going to melt and drop and maybe I'll be the wrinkled, chuckling lady mopping them off the floor.
