I couldn’t help overhearing the thirty something woman, on her cell phone, who was sitting next to me at an outdoor cafe. ”Our parents worry about us when we’re children. When we become adults, we worry about our parents,” she astutely told the person at the other end.
“Matt is concerned about you. He knows there’s not much he can do to change the situation, but he wants you to be happy,” she continued. I assumed the woman was talking to one of her in laws, especially because Matt had been talking to the person first and had handed her the phone and abruptly left the table. While she talked, Matt was pensively looking into the river that fronted the cafe.
When the conversation ended, the young woman asked if I’d watch her bag a moment and she went to join Matt near the water. Then talked quietly for a couple of minutes, then returned to the table to finish their pastries and coffee.
I thought about the parents at the other end of the call, about how lucky they are to have such a sensible daughter-in-law. Whatever problems they’re experiencing, I hope they find comfort from her and their son. The young woman was right. We do change roles with our parents at some point. It’s the natural progression of life. The idea makes me a bit melancholy but it also gives me solace.
I detested history when I was in school, every bit of it. American. European. British. Ancient. Greco-Roman. So many dates, events and names to remember. What precipitated World War I? What did Americo Vespucio discover? Name the original 13 colonies. I now understand it wasn’t the memorization that soured me to history. I was so busy worrying about getting good test scores, I couldn’t appreciate the meaning of the subject.
Today, I love history. I watch historical documentaries. I enjoy historical fiction. I’m excited to visit and learn about historical places. I was awed when I visited Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, and stood on the same spot where our soldiers landed during WW II. I was heartbroken gazing down into Pearl Harbor where The Arizona rests, a watery grave to the soldiers whose lives were taken one beautiful Sunday morning. I was thrilled to learn about the brilliance of the Roman civilization in the 1st century A.C., when I traveled to Rome.
Learning has been more and more fun since I became FOF. Dining with my sister and nephew at dinner last week, I listened carefully as she explained to him some of the principles of the global economy. I had a superb meal with two wonderful people and picked up knowledge about an important subject.
I’ve often thought I’d like to go back to school to study subjects including literature, French, economics and history. It’s never too late to learn.
Every time I read about a new beauty potion that promises to do wonders on my crow’s feet, smile lines and fine wrinkles, I want to run out and buy it. The beauty business loves women like me (or is it “I”?) They count on us. But I don’t have the time, money or vanity space to investigate and buy every lotion, serum, gel and cream that comes on the market. That’s one of the reasons we’re producing a beauty event just for FOFs. You’ll be able to personally meet and learn from incredibly smart people in the beauty business, from hair, makeup, and color gurus to plastic surgeons and cosmetic dentists; discover the latest and greatest products, techniques and servies, and sample to your face’s content. You’ll also walk out with a gift bag worth more than the cost of a ticket.
Check out the details and hear me tell Cynthia Rowland and Jackie Silver about the Beauty Bash for their radio show, The Ageless Sisters. Cynthia is the inventor of Facial Magic, a non-surgical face lift that really works and Jackie wrote Aging Backwards. They are dynamos and they will be at the Bash, too.
Buy your tickets now and get the event on your calendar. It’s going to be FAB! You have my FOF word.
We had a get-together for FOFs last night, at the gym where I do vibration training, and there I met Deborah Chase, a long-time health, fashion and beauty writer (she’s authored numerous books). We got to talking, as all FOFs are wont to do, and it turns out that Deb and I were undergraduates at NYU at the same time, studying journalism. We reminisced about our professors and filled each other in about our careers.
FOFriend Jenni trying out vibration training
Deborah Chase testing sunscreen for her cool and ultra-sensible blog