Growing up FTW!

I recently ran into someone I went to high school with and it was nice in a nostalgic "oh yeah, your one of the ones I liked" kind of way. As we were catching up, he lamented "Man, we are getting old!"

Ok, first off, no, we aren't. We are OLDER, but if you feel old at 28, I have this nice little health coaching business to help you out...

And second, I have discovered that I LOVE "getting old". Here is why:

-There is a self-confidence that has crept in with age and life experience that is really comforting. Or maybe it is just that over time, I care less and less what other people think? Either way, it's grand.

-Insurance discounts that kicked in once I turned 25. What is it about 25 that dictates I am suddenly mature and responsible enough to not have to pay as much for car insurance?

-I have found that it's ok to embrace the parts of me I was told (whether overtly or not) were negative, or bad, or just not acceptable. Such as: I enjoy sex and being a sexual person; I love to be a reclusive, gluttonous sloth when I need to unwind; I no longer feel the need to commit myself to something just because it is something I *could* do; sometimes I enjoy really crappy literature; I don't like some people and feel no need to go out of my way to be nice to the really offensive ones; and there is nothing quite as satisfying as sitting on the couch in my underwear while watching an old movie and eating ice cream straight out of the carton (I can see my mother cringing right now).

-I don't care if I can't dance up to par with other people's standards anymore, it feels good.

-While it is somewhat of an ego-boost to get hit on in the bar, instead of internalizing it as a sign of my worth, I merely take it as a compliment. It neither makes or breaks my night in it's absence or presence.

-I no longer automatically register the things my mom tells me are good for me as solid gold fact, but take the time to do my own research and decide whether it really is good and right for me. (No, I don't feel like crap after eating too many nightshades.) (AAAND, eating too much of anything can make almost anyone feel like crap.)

-I like that the older my actual age is, the more people assume I am not, in fact, a mindless girl. And I like that I receive less condescending BS from people.

-As I age, I find my voice more and more. I like being a mouthy, opinionated woman who is ok making my needs known.

-I take care of myself in ways that work for me and feel right to me, because I *want* to be a healthy person, not because someone else is telling me that it's good for me.




All this being said, I still like being taken care of when I get sick, I still laugh at fart jokes, and I still have my teddy bear. And I am more than ok with all of the above.