Article on older women, ageism and feminism

So do I, Magicmaggie, but not to the colour it was when I was 20.
A friend was showing me her daughter's wedding photos the other day and I noticed a tall, striking woman in a turquoise shirt tunic, with cropped red hair.
I asked who it was - the bridegroom's grandma!

My small grandson (aged 6) and I had a lovely country walk, both of us had walking sticks, and we're chatting, as you do! when he turned to me and thoughtfully and gravely said that he had a stick because he was little, and I had a stick because I was old!!!!! Out of the mouths etc!! Thing is it's totally true!!!

It get my goat (where did that saying come from), when I see photographs in magazines for a facial or hair product being advertised for the "older woman and the girl-woman is about 20-25

I was surprised to find one of the most ageist groups are male GPs. It's easy for them to fob off a patient by saying it's "age related". I've found locums a pleasant surprise. They really listen and act on what I've
told/shown them.

But, why is it when I've an appointment to be seen a specialist I assume it will be a man?

Maybe I'm no better than my GP

When booking a GP appointment I'm occasionally asked whether I willing to see a (male or female) trainee GP. I've found their fresh approach and up to date knowledge can give a helpful different perspective.

Luckyducky - my DD a few years ago warned me not to accept 'you must expect it at your age'. It seemed to be the attitude of older male GPs.

There is an interesting theory to which I will refer when confronted with combined ageism and feminism. Briefly, it proposes that human evolution took a great leap forward with the menopause and female longevity because younger women who were mothers could benefit from the knowledge and experience of their own mothers, who did not have young children of their own requiring time-consuming maternal care, while at the same time, expanding their own knowledge and experience.

In spite of all the grandstanding and absurd movie-making about cavemen hunting sabre-toothed tigers and woolly mammoths – and I wonder what on earth those tasted like – most hunger-gatherer communities (ancient, more recent past and present) relied much more on the gathering than hunting and that was mainly women's work. How helpful it would be if your mum passed on her own carefully guarded knowledge of where to find the fattest berries, how to take the honey without being stung by bees and which plants were best avoided.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. There are many gransnetters who share their wisdom about relationships, cooking, childcare, removing stains from clothes, saucepans and children's hands, and many, many other aspects of modern life, including, of course, working life outside the home in what is still a man's world, with their daughters. (I am not denigrating mother-son relationships, but this theory is to do with mothers and daughters). We do it instinctively and don't we love it?

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