MABS. Middle-Aged Bodies Stink.
Create your own support group if you'd like. You likely already have, but it's a very lean group, isn't it?
Think about it. Maybe they didn't give you early retirement for whatever reasons they told you. (Ohhhh...) That's right. Epiphany happens.
It's not that younger people don't see you, it's because they don't want to smell you. They can see flesh sagging and hair loss. Give them some cred; they'd still talk and laugh with you despite your appearance. Intelligent individuals are pretty accepting. But just seconds before they make eye contact, their nose tells their brains, "DON'T DO IT!!!" So they look down at the bottom shelf cereals in the aisle or take out their phones immediately. I've even seen people in line at Lowe's leave the line in a ruse to go grab something they forgot SO AS NOT TO BE STANDING NEXT TO THE MAB.
We like to blame the social media and technology. Less social skills because of the increase in screens. Think about this: they have no problem talking face to face with each other. They are just choosing to not engage as they attempt to flee.
MAers have always blamed the newest generation, Elvis, the Beatles, marijane.
Our kids don't really think we are ridiculous. They roll their eyes as they walk away so as to finalize the contact! See?
So go take another shower. Invest in some cologne, please. You deserve a life surrounded by those you love! Your loved ones would benefit from your love and wisdom and experience. Make sure your outsides smell as good as they possibly can.
And just because I am attempting to be helpful and "fix" the problem, stop eating stuff that makes you gassy. You know that I am speaking from my own experience, too, so don't think my pointing fingers are only facing outward.
Ha. The reunion this summer. Carby dinner, birthday cake slivers because I couldn't dare to have a plate with a whole big piece on it, and eat it with a fork like a civilized grownup. Slipping slivers into my mouth as I clean up the kitchen. Ya ever notice I don't clean up the kitchen when there was no sugar for dinner? Ya. Then family adult games on the deck. "At least we are outside," is what I kept telling myself. I should have gotten up and spared the humans. I sat there, squoonching my buttocks into that slotted deck chair, not enough of a breeze for anybody's liking. My poor husband sitting next to me. To his credit, he never pointed me out, even when people started getting up and moving away from the main group. True love, that is.
If it causes inflammation or bloating or lethal gas, don't eat it. Dairy? Broccoli? carbs? And don't mash up the lethal foods with non-gassy varieties. Cake with chicken is still cake. Maybe you'd get by with broccoli and chicken... You know your body. Pay attention if you don't. Keep a gas log. A cute little memo book you can carry with you at all times. Maybe a red one, like the color of a stop sign. Or use your phone! Take notes however works best for you. Got gas? Write down every circumstance. Time of day. What you ate. Other symptoms: tired? nauseous?
Maybe taking notice and prevention won't do anything for you other than make you attractive to those in proximity. Or maybe it could prevent further physical degeneration. Tell yourself whatever motivates you to smell better. MABs are the smelliest human subgroup on this planet. Let's be more considerate.
With love to all my family and friends. I'm trying,
Tami