Tags
No tags :(
Share it
Oh, my! I feel like broken eggs in a carton, cracked with some of my innards
oozing out. You see, 12 years ago, almost to the day, I published the first
Ladies of a Certain Age blog, “The Day I Knew I Had Become Invisible.”
https://ladiesofacertainage.com/?p=47
By now, a dozen years later, I thought older women in American society
would be recognized as valuable contributors; after all, more women than
ever would be in the workforce and have professional position
Unfortunately and astonishingly, society—including some young individuals,
family members, community organizations, and political groups—fails to
value us. They criticize, reprimand, and belittle us, discrediting or entirely
ignoring our existence. It feels like we just don’t measure up mentally,
technologically, physically, or in any other way you can imagine.
Well, ladies, I say, “Don’t believe this or let it get you down!”
The lyrics of Lesley Gore’s 1963 hit song, “You Don’t Own Me,” come to my
mind. Sadly, Lesley Gore died of lung cancer on February 16, 2015. Born in
1946, she was 17 when she recorded the song.
So, in her honor and memory, I have respectfully added and changed some
of the words or noted my interpretation from my perspective of a lady of a
certain age.
“You Don’t Own Me”
You don’t own me
I’m not just one of your many toys
You don’t own me
Don’t say I can’t go with other boys (or whomever or wherever I
want without telling you adult child, husband, community members
or…..)
And don’t tell me what to do
Don’t tell me what to say
And please, when I go out with you
Don’t put me on display (Make a big deal out of how I walk, dress,
hear, see, or understand phones, watches, computers…, etc.)
’cause
You don’t own me
Don’t try to change me in any way
You don’t own me
Don’t tie me down ’cause I’d never stay (In 2025, I have many
options for where I live and go, and I don’t have to take care of you
or bring you along.)
I don’t tell you what to say
I don’t tell you what to do
So just let me be myself
That’s all I ask of you
I’m (older,)and I love to be (older)
I’m free, and I love to be free
To live my life the way I want
To say and do whatever I please
And don’t tell me what to do
Oh, don’t tell me what to say
And please, when I go out with you
Don’t put me on display
I don’t tell you what to say
Or, don’t tell you what to do
So just let me be myself
That’s all I ask of you
Many years ago, a colleague told me she had a door hanger that said,
“Don’t Let The Bastards Get You Down!” She made a point of looking at it
every day before leaving for work. Today, in the morning, I like looking in
the mirror and remembering how great and valuable my friends are, many
of whom have passed, and how I have taken care of myself and others
and contributed to this world.
We are valuable, ladies. Don’t let anyone get you down!
