[GCFL-discuss] Re: GCFL-discuss: Old Wife Joke

Tue Nov 9 13:44:57 CST 2004

Welcome aboard, Kay.

If I was introduced to you guys, I would probably do a double take, simply
because it would be unexpected.
If I was then rude enough to make a comment, it probably would be something
like:  They must be very special to stick together despite the looks they
get.

I don't think the floral industry could have CREATED this difference.
Granted that they have tweaked it to the max.  
Be assured, that if the floral industry could get men to appreciate flowers
the way women do, they would have done so long ago.

Out of curiosity, how long are you together?

greenBubble 

-----Original Message-----
From: gcfl-discuss at gcfl.net [mailto:gcfl-discuss at gcfl.net]
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 1:54 PM
Cc: Discussion of the Good, Clean Funnies List
Subject: [GCFL-discuss] Re: GCFL-discuss: Old Wife Joke

Hey, I think it's worth talking to death. 

Siarlys, you made a dead-on observation of "fashion experts have given us an
ideal image of what a woman SHOULD look like (and they've done that to men
too) that has little or nothing to do with what most women (and men)
actually DO look like. This
creates all kinds of unnecessary anxiety."

And Frank, the floral industry has does the same thing with flowers. They
want us to believe that someone loves us more if they send us flowers. And
the advertising has been aimed directly at us women.

Via advertising, Corporate America has done a superb job of convincing most
Americans and the rest of the world who and what we should be. But I'm not
buying into the concept. 

I'm a 61-year-old female, disabled, overweight, salt-and-pepper hair, with
plenty of wrinkles on my face (and I've earned every one of them!), in a
long-term committed relationship with a 47-year-old overweight, little bit
of gray in his hair, laugh-lines only wrinkles, grad student male. 

We show each other in many different ways how much we love each other
without giving each other flowers, and without me asking "do I look old?"
because I know I do and he would tell me I do! But we don't care that I am
obviously older than he. 

Other people care -- funny how in our society nobody blinks an eye when an
older man has a "trophy wife", but let an older woman be in a relationship
with a younger man, and, "OH MY GOD, What's wrong with him that he's with
that old broad? What can he possibly see in her?!" And, yes, we've actually
overheard that comment made more than once. The look of shock on people's
faces when we're introduced to new people is priceless.

What he sees, in his words, is "The most witty, intelligent, caring, warm,
and loving person I know." And that's what I see in him. Yes, we have our
ups and downs like every couple, especially when each of us is as
independent as we are. But corporate America be damned (moderator - can I
say that?). We are human beings who try to be the best people we can be and
to treat other people just as we want them to treat us.

Thanks for the opportunity to speak my piece. 

I read this column frequently and appreciate the intelligent conversation
and dialogue. 

Kay 

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