I was listening to a podcast today about a dancer who was about to turn 60 years old. The problem was that she was afraid of dancing and liberating herself to the type of dance and choreography she wanted to make. Much of that fear was coming from her body, which wasn’t as youthful as it once was. She feared that the type of art she wanted to make wouldn’t be accepted. She obviously didn’t have the body she once had full of flexibility and fresh tissues, but deep inside she knew that wasn’t a strong enough reason to give up dancing. Unfortunately though, as someone once said, sometimes we are our worst enemy.
The situation made me think of aging, which has been on my mind for a while now. I see the fear and the insecurity of aging everywhere. What is aging? It’s ultimately the process of change in our bodies and minds. People want to be immortal, but that’s not something new, what’s new is the technology to try to keep our bodies intact, with surgeries, implants, and all kinds of things, and prevent it from going through the natural process of aging.
Let’s take some artists for example; on some of them the fear of not being “young” anymore is evident, and I can imagine that the pressure to keep their image must be overwhelming, and since money is not a problem, they can just get all kinds of procedures done. I’m not saying it’s wrong to have plastic surgeries or implants, but any excess becomes unhealthy for the body and the spirit, and I think what’s even worse and most damaging is the negation of aging, which is something natural.
Physical beauty is awesome, but what’s truly awesome is to feel confident on your own skin. I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life, and I know the feeling of not feeling confortable on your own skin, or not liking how a shirt fits, or whatever the issue might be. But I also know that when I’m fit, and I give my body the nutrients it needs, I feel the most healthy and beautiful. I also try to be as aware as possible that my physical beauty is changing every day, and that one day I will look different than how I look now, and the question is would I go back in time to be younger?
No. No. No. Honestly, I find myself way more attractive now, because as I said before, layers had come off as time goes by. I get to know who I’m truly am deep down, and I don’t want to put the layers back on that has cost me so much to shed, just to have less lines on my face. I own my lines, my marks, and my scars with honor. I’ve been trough quite a few battles, and I’m still here, alive, and happier than ever, and privilege enough to be alive. I don’t mind the aging process; it’s part of the game. I try to take care of myself and focus my attention on the beauty that is to be here on earth, rather than the external beauty. Just like my flowers, each season bring something new to the cycle of life, and I find beauty in each one of them.
Just like the flowers, we should all honor our seasons, and live to the maximum so we can enjoy what life is giving us in the present moment, and not missing the past.
Nata Writes | Visual Storyteller 