And out of such encounters, to stumble upon a group of middle-aged women who are more exciting than the average teenager definitely qualifies as one.[break]
Let me give you the play-by-play as to what happened.
I’m currently out of town. So I’m staying in a hotel. And in this hotel, they, for some reason, only offer free Internet services in the lobby. In my desperate need for free Internet, being the Internet junkie that I am, I decided to head to the lobby despite the fact that it was late in the night.
Sure, I was tired from a long day and was even more tired thinking of another long day ahead. But I let my whim get the best of me. Not the wisest decision I’ve made, but that’s still open to debate because I did strike upon inspiration in that little, tiny elevator.
Going back to the actual story of what happened in the elevator now: I met those women-turned-teenagers. Or rather, that night, everybody over the age of forty seemed to be going back to being far from forty and more towards fourteen.
These women appeared to be heading to some bar for a girls’ night out. They seemed ready and prepared to relax, and de-stress and have some serious fun.
“Hush, there’s someone in the elevator; we don’t want to scare her,” a beautiful blonde woman who looked around forty-five-ish warned all her coterie of apparently youthful friends in a playful tone.
This was followed by unanimous giggles among the women, the kind of giggles you usually hear from young teenage girls following innocent mischief.
Throughout my elevator ride all the way from the thirty-second floor to the lobby, this bunch laughed and fooled around and made jokes.
Not surprisingly, much of the sentences exchanged among them involved men and drinks and makeup. And amidst all this, there I was trying very hard to be immune to their lax and carefree vibe that was, I must admit, very admirable.
As luck would have it, the elevator stopped on another floor somewhere in the middle, and as the door opened up, the sight of two middle-aged men appeared – one was carrying the other.
I don’t know what that was all about, but it certainly inspired one of the ladies in the elevator to take a good long peek at the sight even if it meant holding the elevator door open for a couple of seconds.
Now these men may be classified as sturdy and handsome for their age, I believe. It was not for nothing that the woman held the elevator just to catch another glimpse of the men.
“Now those were some fine men,” one of the women exclaimed at the mention of which a grin escaped from my face.
And being the lovely women they were, another one remarked, “Don’t mind us honey; at some point in life around your forties, you just go back to being eighteen again,” she said.
Now, what a thing to think about!
At some point in life, you go back to being eighteen again. How true (I guess)!
I haven’t gone through the phase myself; so I can’t speak from experience. But I can assure you that I know enough people who are around their late forties for me to agree with the women in the elevator with my heart and soul.
The stereotypical image of people with a job and family having to be serious and “boring” isn’t necessarily true (as with any other stereotypes). I mean, of course, they must be focused in what they do and in providing for their family. But when it comes to having fun, I know this generation doesn’t compromise.
That’s why I claim that middle-aged people today are as vivacious, as jovial and as interesting as any of the younger generation people. They know how to have fun; they know how to be fun.
This is why it’s little wonder I encounter many a people from this age group in laidback restaurants, or taking trips and vacations around the country and abroad, or taking salsa classes, or even trekking. And they do all this in style, too, keeping up with the latest trends and fashion statements and looking sharp as they go.
Most of you might agree with me that the generation prior to us have really picked up on some key elements of “coolness” and have incorporated it into their lives to be able to blend in so well with our generation or other generations, creating a nice bridge between all things awkward.
In the context to Nepal in particular, even if it’s a move from unnecessary conservatism towards a more liberal, yet grounded approach, this generation has, like I said, bridged the gap between generations wonderfully.
Most of the middle-aged today have decent jobs, families, values, knowledge, and not to forget, a serious desire to have fun and enjoy life.
Maybe all this is something that has already crossed your mind, or maybe all this is something that you need to think about. But whatever way, I hope you’ll agree with me in commending the generation prior to us!
Ayushma Basnyat is a student of Political Science at Thammasat University who enjoys exploring life and all that it has to offer.
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