Jenifer Ebel posted a link to the 47 minute video on YouTube and other places about the Fabulous Fashionistas, 6 women with an average age of 80. Lynn was interested and watched it and I was led to do so, too.
All six live in Britain and five are British born. The 6th was born in America. All are elderly and all are spirited. It seemed to me that the common statements from them all were
- that they didn't give a damn about other peoples' opinions of them and
- that their lives, activities and dress were not about looking younger. Looking younger is a pet peeve of Lynn. She often expresses irritation that the AARP magazine and other sources that are focused on older people spend ink and pictures emphasizing how young someone looks for their age.
The Fabulous Fashionistas emphasize their love of color and of clothes they actually enjoy wearing and feel they look good in. It is clear that they do have some sensitivity as to others' opinions of their dress but it is even clearer that they are willing and able to focus on their own judgments and their own opinions of what would be fun to wear and what looks outstanding. They are quite capable of pushing the boundaries and living an exciting, fulfilling life.
Physical activity in the form of dancing, yoga and jogging is important to them, although it appears that the 91 year old mostly walks. Life for many in Europe and the rest of the non-US world is more automobile-free than we are used to. Standing gracefully and securely on one foot, raising the other and grasping the heel and holding it while fully straightening the raised leg is something I would never attempt and have never been able to do.
Living alone and enjoying life a major part of their lives. One has a much younger husband but all are acquainted with death of a longtime partner and all chose to live actively and consciously and fully. The loss of a longtime partner is sometimes considered the hardest blow one receives in life but these women show that one can take the blow and still savor what one has and is.
Jenifer Ebel posted a link to the Fabulous Fashionistas on Facebook, which is clearly a large part of many of my friends' lives. She herself is a wonderful yoga teacher and my model of what a yoga instructor should be and do. We regret that Ebel is semi-retired and only offers weekend retreats once in a while.
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Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
