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I’m Almost 40 and I’m Still Fly
‘While some women leave their 30s in protest — kicking and screaming — thankfully, I don’t think that will be me’
Almost every Black person has heard or repeated the saying “Black don’t crack” in a declaration of how good we look throughout the aging process. But what constitutes looking good? Minimal wrinkles, fit bodies, and the absence of grays? Or full booties, softly rounded tummies, and the friendly crinkle of crow’s feet?
As I stare 40 in the eye, contemplating these questions, growing older is not nearly as scary as I thought it would be. A younger me expected to feel beat down by my late thirties or that I would be wearing muumuus and slides. But I’m still as fly as I was when I was 26. (Yes, I am being a bit dramatic.) Still, the truth is ageism is real, and society places extreme pressure on women to do anything and everything to retain their “youth.” Black women feel this pressure too, even if our Black don’t crack.
That’s why fighting Father Time is a billion-dollar industry no matter your race, and it preys on the fear of a woman becoming the crazy cat lady, or at the very least, no longer feeling sexy or physically appealing. But some women are not only embracing their age; they’re redefining the aging process for themselves — Botox, new boobs, gray…
