After badgering and begging friends have finally succeeded in convincing me to start a blog. When I sat down to begin the task I thought about the blogs I enjoy reading. I spend countless hours pouring over design and lifestyle blogs. I did not think I could write a compelling blog based soley on design as I lack experience and perhaps a sound opinion of my own when it comes down to it. But this being said I cannot imagine who wouldn’t want to read about my forays into interior decor in addition to my culinary, exercise, and shopping endeavors. A lifestyle blog it is! Now that I had deemed my day to day compelling enough to write about I needed to brand it.
“Self, what sort of lifestyle do I lead?” The question had to be asked and the only way to get to the essence of me was to explore my surroundings and my day to day activities. Looking around my apartment I made note of the thrift store deals and estate sale treasures. I admired my floral paintings and the smattering (okay, a tad more than a smattering) of animal artwork and collectibles that litter my windowsills, walls, and shelves. Looking around I felt proud of the personal design aesthetic that I had always attributed to my “Granny-chic” sensibilities. Keeping this in mind for a possible blogosphere moniker I moved on and thought about today’s activities. I started my day off bright and early enjoying a cup of a tea with a neighbor and soon met up with a friend for a brisk walk. Then I hopped over to the senior center’s Chinese New Year celebration where I helped serve food and chatted with patrons. It started off lovely; the participants dazzled me with their sweaters featuring embroidered owls, their magenta pleated slacks, and blindingly beautiful crystal clip on earrings. But all glitter fades and when the raffle winners were announced the meal’s sweet and sour sauce suddenly lost its sweetness for me. As a volunteer I was not able to participate in the raffle. This seemed fair… … initially. But as each wrinkled raffle winner unwrapped her prize to find delightful doilies, beautiful bird figurines, and charming heart-shapped candy dishes the green monster inside of me wanted out. Why should I be discriminated against because of my age? Why do they get the magnificent prizes simply because they’re old???? What’s so different about us anyways?? I get up early and drink tea! I take morning strolls to keep the old joints working!! Don’t I deserve an addition to MY miniature spoon collection too????!!!! After reliving this shameful memory I ended up in a very uncomfortable place. Perhaps the label of “granny-chic” that I had always proudly awarded to my lifestyle needed to be rethought. What had started as a search for a blog name had turned into self discovery of catastrophic proportions. Soon I realized I had been living a lie and the true nature of my lifestyle was not one of flea market fancy with a slight tinge of geriatric glamor. What I truly am is “granny-envious” and this is simply un-bloggable.
In all reality this painful self discovery came not a moment too soon. Luckily I have not yet carried out any of my schemes such as the well planned “trick the sweet old lady into ‘donating’ her exquisite hand-embroidered monogrammed hankerchief her mother sewed for her as a child to a fake charity helping little people with chronic sneezing disorders” or my favorite “convince the old man with the to die for walking cane featuring a dog’s head as its handle that he walks just fine without it and that his nursing home crush had been overheard talking about how cute he would be if he just got rid of the darn stick”. After this self exploration I’ve realized that, God willing, someday I too shall be old and I will be able to reap the benefits of aged-ness. Until then I need to be happy for my elders and the treasures they have accrued in their years. No my granny-chicness need not be stifled! No I do not need to stop collecting bronzed cat statues with piercing turquoise eyes! I simply need to remember in my moments of envy and rage that I too shall have my day and in the mean time I am in training – an Old Lady In Training.
It is my hope that this blog can help me meld my delight in all things old with my still youthful disposition to result in a semi-regular account of my day to day musings, treasure hunts, and other such matters. I hope you enjoy. Please bare with me as I brush off my grammar text books and give writing another shot.
Respectfully Yours,
OLIT
(Old Lady in Training)
(note: Initially I decided I would call this blog “Old Maid In Training”. Given my current dating situation, or lack there of, I did not want to tempt fate and settled on a more general term leaving room for a husband or at least a beau or two in my future. If any reader knows of any Old Men In Training please send them my way.)
