Aging woman puts herself on a desert island
Dear Wrinkle Free: You already live on a desert island. You've put yourself there, and your obsession with looking youthful in order to attract and hold the male gaze will keep you there.
If men are so awful, then why are you so desperate for one? Why not simply step off of this terrible treadmill, and decide to spend the rest of your life cultivating inner beauty?
Inner beauty comes from your intellect, your character and your interest in the world and in other people. This sort of beauty does not require expensive procedures and products, and it does not fade.
Take some classes or music lessons. Join a book group. Volunteer. Learn to meditate. See a therapist. Find some nice women to hang with. Or move somewhere less shallow.
Here is a passage from the recent obituary of Kathy Kriger, a former diplomat who founded "Rick's Café" in Casablanca, Morocco, when she was in her late-50s (she died at 72):
"'If I'm honest, I always thought I would find a man while following my dream. That didn't happen,' she said cheerfully. 'Instead, with Rick looking over my shoulder, I found myself.'"
I hope you find yourself, too.
Dear Amy: My wife of 10 years hides hard liquor around the house.
I can tell when she drinks -- her eyes are dilated and she is unstable when she walks.
I don't know why she is doing this; I thought our marriage was good, but now I am wondering.
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