Hi Kris, I love the article. I am 51 and married with a daughter. I have always felt fifties would be scarey but when you get there it’s actually a relief, like dreading an exam and then finding you know all the answers.
I think the obsession society has with youth is all down to our narcissistic ‘selfie’ age, people now have time to see themselves age and obsess about it, in the past they were too busy living or coping with wars.
If we buy into ‘women who are in their 50’s are worth less, we are adding credibility to the patriarchal society that values women by their sexual attractiveness. In times of war older women are shot and younger ones treated as sex slaves. By men.
In times of peace younger ones often worry about getting/keeping a man and older ones are often left. By men.
I spot a pattern. Each woman determines her own value.
If a woman does a good job did she not know that until a man told her? Of course not.
We have come so far in so many ways and yet still give away so much power. To men.
I hope by the time my daughter is in her fifties things have improved more again.
But Kris, as for women in their ‘40’s being hard work I can confirm it is due to drop in oestrogen causing them to be ‘less feminine and more assertive’ however after decades of simpering it feels odd so the pendulum swings from batting eyelashes to banging doors. It passes.
In my fifties I feel like I have arrived at a new destination and am looking around, I am curious as to what will happen.
Being a woman is a privilege, we can create life with a sperm donor if we wish, men still do not have womb donors, so in the game of creation Women 1 Men 0.
My final theory on men is this, rather like a jealous co worker who puts you down as you are better looking, men demean us as they fear our power xx
