Youth is a quick foray into life that passes so quickly we often do not have time to enjoy the moment. And as I get older I have a new found appreciation for youth. This is ironic, since when I was younger I wanted nothing more than to be older and mature as I waned through various aging process; the awkward teenage years, the trivial twenties and the tumulus thirties. Now, I am forced to embrace the fading forties. I say fading because that is how I feel right now. Although I am doing my best to accept the newly coined phrase for those of us who are now in our forties, “forty is the new thirty.” A promising thought, don’t you think. After all according to the experts we are now living longer and we are more active than the previous generation. I am not alone in this desire; take a look at the billion dollar cosmetic market that uses young women to pimp out products that promises youthful solution to an aging population.
The desire to be young again has intensified because I am now officially single; at least according to my divorce document that arrived in the mail last week. For many the realization of being single intensifies according the physical shape that you are in. I say this, because if you are happy with your overall physical appearance chances are you are actively engaged in normal social activities. I, on the other hand, I am part of the growing population that struggles with maintaining a normal body weight. You now the type, the one that has a date with the bathroom scale every Monday morning in hopes that some how this will be the week that the magic of dieting will be realized. I no longer follow that Monday morning routine. Partly because I am convinced that my scale is a liar and partly because I have accepted the things in my life that I cannot change (although according to a popular Beverly Hills plastic surgeon – there isn’t anything on the human body that he cannot fix). And after years of compartmentalizing my body parts, I have now learned to chuck in all under unchangeable and impossible. What a relief that was.
Having said that, I also came to the other realization – it was time to get my feet wet and enjoy the company of the opposite sex again. Because I live in a small town and I do not know that many people here, I would have to expand my search zone. I decided that the next time that I was on a business trip would be the right time to act on this resolution. Shortly after my declaration I embarked on a business trip to a large cosmopolitan city. I checked into a major hotel chain in the art district of the city. From what I gathered art districts have the reputation for being unrestricted and quaint. Prior to my departure I had made arrangements to have dinner and drinks with two unsuspecting prospects. There was no turning back and so I not only needed a plan of action, I made provision for a back-up. I selected my non career wear carefully to emphasize my assets and down play any flaws. I was now ready to put my plan into action.
Next time...Plan of Action
