Proof That Women Can Age Better Than Men (Screw The Studies)

I turned 30 last month. While I may not be shouting my age from the rooftops, I feel as young and fresh-faced as I did when I turned 20. Twenty bucks says I could outrun any 18-year-old who dares to challenge me. Yet according to a new study (which, in a bit of morbid-irony, was conducted by a funeral home), most women are already drafting their bucket list when they hit the Big Three-Oh. Meanwhile, most men only begin to feel the mileage on their meter at retirement age. That’s a huge gender gap, and a blatant example of the stricter standards put upon women by our culture. But why is anyone still paying attention to that status quo?

According to the study, a whopping 25% of women surveyed said they felt like they were granny-fying when they found their first gray hairs (I was 24 when this personal discovery was made, hardly over the hill), while men said that only once their sex lives were affected did their age become an issue for them. Really, is there any other factor that would give men pause? Were it not for that, surely men would continue to believe they were teenagers until their dying day.

While the substance of this study irks me to no end, in my social circles, I see these exact scenarios playing out; all of my girlfriends are pairing off, getting married, and having babies whilst my guy friends take full advantage of their playboy carte blanche without feeling obligated to long-term personal relationships. Women my age who are successful and single suddenly find themselves being stuck into the “cougar” or “old maid” category, but men my age who are successful and single are a “man’s man” or a “catch.”

What’s the benefit in revealing your age at all if you’re going to be judged by it? Furthermore, why are we believing we’re old even if we don’t feel it? Everyone who meets me for the first time automatically assumes I’m in my early 20s. I haven’t quite zeroed in on the cause (it’s definitely not those grey hairs), but I believe it’s probably due to my “youthful energy” (if I do say so myself). Whether I’m laughing at the good jokes, biking around town, or climbing trees in miniskirts, I’ve never lost my childlike enthusiasm for life, and that has meant I get carded at nightclubs more often than not. In fact, a couple weeks before my birthday, I joked to a new acquaintance that I was turning 20, and he believed me until I set him straight. It’s not about the gray hairs or the wrinkles, ladies, it’s about being young at heart and never losing that feeling. Don’t allow anything to make you feel old before your time, and if that means giving the playboy men a run for their money well into your 50s, I say bring it on.

(Photo: Starley2)

• What we’re reading:
  • The Best Time To Work Out (That’s Fit)
  • Grow Your Lunch (Shelterpop)
  • Get A More Restful Night Of Sleep (MyDaily)

Similar Posts:

• When Pretty Friends Make You Feel Ugly
• How Your Thoughts Can Help You Lose Weight
• Has Fibromyalgia Ruined Your Love Life?
• 5 Ways To Age Gracefully and Healthfully
• Self Limiting Exercise