This blog entry is "for women only". Isn't that similar to the name of that hair color kit for men? You know, the one where the old guy in the tv commercial is in the "summer" of his life, but wants a little of his gray to show. This is so he'll look really "with it" while he hangs out with women young enough to be his daughter and enjoys the type of activities that make you think of twenty year olds.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if aging was that easy for all of us! Women need to have a whole different perspective on aging. Projecting an appearance of youth is not just a question of ego or narcissism for women. In the work world, how capable a woman is at her job is often decided by the image she projects. Her hair, clothes, make-up, posture are all noted. If any or all of these say old-lady, it is quite possible that she will be judged unable to do her job as well as someone younger. Work involves competition and when a middle-aged woman looks like a middle-aged woman (or older) it's really tough to compete.

There is a book here at the Nashua Public Library which should be regarded as must reading by any woman of a certain age who wants to be sure she projects an image that is, in the words of this book, "Y&H (young and hip) and does not scream OL" (you guessed it - OLD LADY). How not to look old by Charla Krupp, who used to be the beauty director for Glamour magazine, offers tips for women with beauty routines ranging from low maintenance all the way up to high maintenance. Don't be confused by the Y&H, though, because this book is careful to point out that your goal is not to look like your 20 year old daughter, but rather to avoid looking like her grandmother.

Then, there are those women who would rather rely on nutrition and dietary supplements than resorting to cosmetics, botox and hair color. Change from the inside out, I guess. For them, the Perricone Promise by Nicholas Perricone may be the solution. Some women may feel confident enough to live their lives with gray hair. Going gray by Anne Kreamer discusses one woman's journey to gray hair and the changes which this brought to her life. lf you are a woman with gray or white hair, Going gray, Looking great by Diana Lewis Jewell could be the guide which will help you to create a new image by combining your hair with the right clothes and cosmetics to show it off.

And then there is your mind. Women who are concerned with aging today are a lot different than their mothers. Few women are looking for that wonderful retirement spot in the sun. More than ever women are looking for the next challenge, the next new thing to do. After you make sure that your appearance says, "Don't count me out, I'm not going away for a long time yet", work on your mind and decide what you want to do with the rest of your life. Inventing the rest of our lives by Suzanne Braun Levine helps women to make decisions about the rest of their lives by asking meaningful questions and providing examples of successful life choices. Another book to provide a perspective on aging for women is Kiss tomorrow hello a series of essays written by women authors all over the age of forty who discuss who they were, who they are now, and what happened along the way.

Women age, an unfortunate and unavoidable fact of life. Unlike men, our sense of self-worth and the value which others place upon us and our abilities appears to be tied to our appearance and the image which we project. Look young, act young, but not too young. At the same time allow yourself to develop into a mature, strong woman who knows herself and what she expects from the rest of her long life. Not an easy task.