Hey Sparky,

I have a book for you: This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism by Ashton Applewhite. While I can understand that this pleases you (and it used to please me too) the question is why is it important to be told this? what part of us is so afraid to be the age we are that we like/hunger for /want someone to tell us that we look X years younger? This isn’t a criticism. It’s rhetorical, but worth asking. I remember feeling pleased as punch that my doc thought I was ten years younger. I’ve had to ask myself the same question. The more I let go of what I consider to be a conceit on my part, the happier I am. I am one hell of a woman at 66. I look terrific. Period. I’ll bet you do too. We just are what and who we are, and age is the single non-negotiable we all have to deal with. For what it’s worth I love being this age, and will look forward to all that come, without wanting to be told anything differently. My take is that the less we care about looking younger, the more time and energy we have for living better. But that’s just me.