Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

[isabelledolce]

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Yesterday I went to have my haircut and decided to gossip with my stylist, Melissa. I've never really bonded with her before but I decided that I should solidify our relationship after six years together with only an occassional infidelity, once when travelling in France and I was seduced by the glamour of Toni &

Comments

[kits_meow]

Given the prevalence of articles I've been reading recently that posit that because of various things in Western culture including our comparative wealth, culture of instant-gratification and obsession with "youth", we're not reaching post-adolescence until well in our thirties, this "just wanna have fun" attitude seems absolutely in keeping with the theory

[rhapsodista]

can I get some references to these articles? they sound fascinating, and I've been meaning to read up more on marriage and the family.

Sure...

[kits_meow]

It'll take me a bit to pull them (I moved last week and haven't unpacked), but just so you know, the articles were about marriage and family - they were about some of the effects of what living in a disposable society has done to our youth.

Re: Sure...

[kits_meow]

er... weren't about marriage and family. Doh! ;)

[thebohomama]

This is a great comment. I like your points. You bring up another interesting issue, the "eternally young". At what age do we start considering the citizens of our society useless? Growth in retirement homes, etc... pushing our elderly aside and disrespecting them to some extent as the image of our society becomes "younger" and youth oriented.

We've taken all the things that should have most value in life-- family, satisfaction in each other and valuing old age and wisdom and labelled them archaic, since because of technology and too much money we feel must achieve happiness in different pathways.

[kits_meow]

Thanks.

At what age do we start considering the citizens of our society useless? Growth in retirement homes, etc... pushing our elderly aside and disrespecting them to some extent as the image of our society becomes "younger" and youth oriented.

I'm noticing a whole push me/pull you thing going on about this. There's a perception that "old" people are useless, but there's also a push (at least here in Canada anyway) to make old people sexy. I've been noticing in recent years lots of commercials depicting people in their late 50's, 60's and 70's as vibrant, active, sexual people and a corresponding niche market. Not only the expected products like dentures and diapers with sassy "mature" protagonists in them, or "retirement homes" now re-styled as "Retirement villas" complete with tennis courts and swimming pools - but our government is pushing this idea of eternal youth viable mature people by now getting rid of the retirement age

[walrusfriend]

in one way, it is pretty unfortunate that aging can only be viewed from the "eternal youth" perspective because being older IS different from being younger and that should be respected and recognized. however, maybe the concept of retirement is one that should be uh..retired? if elderly people are still mentally/physically able to contribute to work life, then i feel like they should until everyone agrees that they are no longer capable.

[vequira]

I've heard that if a person enjoys and is good at their job that continuing it can actually help to keep the person "young" in that they are challenging their mind, maintaining human contact and interaction, and remaining somewhat physical.

[jendaby]

There's actually a huge market for self-sufficient communities for retirees that they choose to go to themselves. Not being shunted away, but selecting to live in gated communities with social clubs and activities near others in the liberated situation of retirement. My 93 year old grandmother lives in a community like this. She bought her house. She has social groups. She can vote there. She doesn't feel pushed away. she's happy to be around her peers in a community where she doesn't have to worry about public disturbances or anything like that.

The impression I get from her and from her neighbors is that retirement is the new teenage experience. Her neighbor wears designer jeans and tops marketed for twenty-somethings. :)

My FIL became a widower a few years back, and now when he visits we can't keep track of him because he goes out partying (wine tastings, theatre, etc) with his old high school buddies who have all retired back to where they grew up.