More pics of my glamorous mom

[roaming]

I'm amazed at how sophisticated women were at a young age back then. This was 1945, so mom was only 17!

Clicking on the images more than once makes them bigger/easier to see.

Comments

"Real Age"

[daurdabla]

My favorite quote on this comes from Dick Cavett, who said "I don't feel like an old man; I feel like a young man who's got something wrong with him."

Re: "Real Age"

[roaming]

Good one! I also like the t-shirt that says "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened!"

[sidhe_etain]

Love her hair in the last shot. And the portrait in the upper left.

[roaming]

I love the sweetness in her face. She really was a sweet and generous person. Both her husbands died on her: the first (my dad)was her True Love, and he was an alcoholic. They divorced when I was 8. He died of cirrhosis of the liver on Valentine's Day in my 14th year, on the streets of NYCity's Bowery.

Her second was a friend of my mom's and dad's since before I was born. After dad died they started dating. I don't think she loved him, but she liked him and was comfortable with him and he took good care of her so she wouldn't be alone. Until he died 14 years before her of colon cancer. ON Christmas! Oy. AND vey. Poor mom. She was a romantic to the core, but didn't have very good luck in love. Not to mention having to put up with me! I was quite the obnoxious rebellious always angry teen.

[sidhe_etain]

Sounds like she was a very strong and romantic character.

[medievalmuse]

What a beauty!!! I love the one in the top set, top right, sitting with her mile-long legs on display.

Oddly enough, I'm having one of those weird "I hate my age" things today and can really relate to her comment about the disconnect of what one sees in the mirror - perceived vs. actual age.

[writeonq]

Love those photos ~ there definitely is a sense of glamour that is not often found today. So pretty, and yes, those legs! WOW!

Trigger day HUGs to you!

As for aging... I've vowed to do my best at growing old gracefully. My dad was a great role model for this ~ you could see the vibrant young man shining through his eyes right up until the day he passed. I suspect my mom felt much the same as yours though.

Some days I do better than others, I think. I wonder if it's so much harder for women, with all the cultural perceptions to deal with...

[roaming]

I don't know. I like to think that I'm not overly influenced by the brainwashing, but then, if I were, I'd probably not be conscious of it. I do know that since childhood I have always been "squicked" by old bodies. I'd better get over that unless I plan to die before I get there, otherwise I'll feel trapped and frantic. And really, it is mind over matter, so I'd better just put on my big girl (old lady?) panties and deal.

I just never thought it would happen to me. You know? I mean, I KNOW I'm going to die someday, we all do. And I KNOW/always knew I'd get old someday. But it seemed very surreal, like happening to someone else. Still seems that way.

[writeonq]

I think part of the surreal feeling comes from (among other things) the perceived vs. actual age (as Lisa says above). I also think (or at least it's been my experience that) *intellectually* knowing something doesn't always make it easier when it comes time to actually deal with it.

And maybe that's where the "grace" comes in?

I don't feel particularly brainwashed and for the most part I never really took any sort of cultural conditioning to heart. Don't know why it leaks in around the edges occasionally now.

I certainly understand the squicked-ness. I guess that will be another case of needing "grace" AND the ability to kick ass in a flowered housecoat. ArrrrrrK! We will need a "big girl panties" icon for that, of course...