Better with Age?

It happened quite innocently. I had gone to a local salon in search of better makeup. After suffering through weeks of breakouts, where I have changed just about everything that could be a possible culprit in causing them, I determined it must be my makeup.

Granted, the same makeup I've been using for about 3 years now, but hey, shit happens and sometimes we just can't explain why.

So I decided to go with a higher-end brand.

As Cheryl, the cosmetologist brushed and smoothed and powdered, she stopped just underneath my left eye, and "hmmmm, you seem to be a bit dry under here." Then she touched just below my right eye. "yep, here too," she said.

"How old are you?" she then asked, as she applied some moisturizer to the area.

"36, why?"

"Oh, me too. I was just curious. But you know, you really should start doing something about your undereye area or its going to get worse. Tell me, do you use eye cream"

"Ummm, no. I don't. Why? Do I need to?"

"Yes," Cheryl matter-of-factly stated. "You do."

Normally not one to overly concern myself with those types of comments/issues, or personal vanity, I could not get Cheryl's eye cream advice out of my head.

As I grocery shopped -- I found myself trying to catch glimpses of myself in freezer door glass and anything resembling a mirror. On the ride home, I kept looking at different parts of my face in the rear-view mirror.

When did my pores get so big?, I started to wonder. And how long have I had that furrow in my brow? And damn, she was right, my undereye area is not only dry, but darker than I remember it being last time I looked? Is it just from lack of sleep?

As I made dinner, ate it and then read and watched TV, I kept going into the bathroom every half hour and examining my face in great detail.

Its happened, I suddenly realized. I've begun looking my age. The old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be.

All of a sudden, all the pieces came together -- the stiffer joints in the morning, the dry skin that no moisturizer has been able to cure, the expanding waistline, my heel spur, my ever-earlier bedtime --- DAMN. I'm middle-aged (or at least very close to it), I suddenly realized.

WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN TO ME?

And why did my brain not realize it sooner? I mean, inside, I still feel like a 20-year-old. But the shell is saying, "slow down honey, and please, don't forget the moisturizer and face cream at nite."

Well, I've been more diligent the past few days with my skin care routine and probably will buy the more expensive makeup. And while I haven't gone out and bought eye cream yet, its a good bet that this weekend I"ll be at a makeup counter at a department store, checking a few out.

I guess in addition to wisdom, with age comes vanity. And alot more maintenance! LOL