![\"Aunt](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Aunt-Bee.jpg\")
<\/a>I was watching television the other day and up popped an advertisement for a DVD collection of the old “Andy Griffith Show<\/strong>“. \u00a0And, yes, you would be correct in assuming that I was not watching MTV. \u00a0Clearly the distributors are trying to tap into the sentiment some of us Baby Boomers hold for a show that reflects a much more innocent time and place. \u00a0But it was not the bucolic setting or regional twang that made me sit up and take notice. \u00a0It was the picture of Frances Bavier<\/strong>, who played the wonderful character of “Aunt Bee”. \u00a0She always seemed so comforting and endearing. \u00a0She was the “go to” person for problem solving and home-baked apple pie. \u00a0I wanted to know a little more about her; more \u00a0specifically, I was curious as to how old she was when she played that part. \u00a0The wonderful thing about both Google and an iPad is that all those questions we used to ask ourselves somewhat rhetorically can now be answered immediately. \u00a0So I looked up Ms. Bavier on Wikipedia and was shocked to learn that she was only 58 when she started on the show. \u00a0Jeez – I thought she was about 100.<\/p>\nI shouldn’t have been surprised. \u00a0It seems that whenever I’m watching a classic movie or TV show I think about how much older people used to look. \u00a0It happens with But no matter how much we’re decaying on the inside, it’s good to know that if we so choose, we women can sustain a more youthful outward appearance with a little effort and a lot of money. \u00a0Or we can put on a jaunty little flowered hat and try to exude the same kindly, well-worn and lovable countenance\u00a0as Aunt Bee. \u00a0 The point is – we have options. \u00a0Welcome to the new middle ages.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Sparrow Watson I was watching television the other day and up popped an advertisement for a DVD collection of the old “Andy Griffith Show“. \u00a0And, yes, you would be correct in assuming that I was not watching MTV. … read more<\/a>both sexes but is perhaps more prominent with women. \u00a0Actresses that played middle-aged moms looked plump and matronly. \u00a0They wore housedresses, sensible shoes and hats. \u00a0They ate saturated fats, tons of sugar and drank bourbon. \u00a0And in real life they were only 50 years old. \u00a0 Gloria Swanson, for example, was 50 when she played the washed up movie star Norma Desmond in “Sunset Boulevard”<\/strong>. \u00a0Contrast that with today’smovie icons. \u00a0Kim Cattrall<\/strong>, pictured right, was 58 when this photo was taken. \u00a0A far cry from Aunt Bee at the same age. \u00a0Of course, today’s stars have the benefit of hair color, skilled plastic surgeons and fitness trainers. \u00a0They wear designer clothes and shoes that could double as railroad spikes. \u00a0Instead of girdles they have whole-body Spanx. \u00a0This trend toward looking younger has spawned the phrase “60 is the new 40”. \u00a0I’m actually beginning to hear that “70 is the new 50”, which I think is a direct reflection of our refusal to grow old. \u00a0I’m sure by next year 80 will be the new 60.<\/p>\n<\/a>But despite our outward appearances for the better, there are some things that can’t be buffed or blown or suctioned away as we age. \u00a0Teeth, for one thing. \u00a0I don’t know anyone over 60 who hasn’t had crowns, bridges, implants or root canals. \u00a0Oh sure, their teeth have been “brightened” by the latest technology but just like horses, teeth always give our age away. \u00a0Another seemingly inescapable fact of aging is bad backs. \u00a0Despite hours of sit-ups and “focusing on our core”<\/strong>, the back just eventually wears out. \u00a0We spent an hour at a cocktail party the other night listening to everyone’s tales about lower back pain and how it has ruined – RUINED! – their golf game. \u00a0As if they were par shooters to begin with. \u00a0Finally, the aging factor that starts more arguments than any other: hearing loss. \u00a0The most frequently uttered sentence in our house is: “What? \u00a0I can’t hear you!” \u00a0That is only rivaled by “Could you please turn that TV down\/up!” (depending on who is speaking). \u00a0Sure, they make rather small and unobtrusive hearing aids these days but, like alcoholics, the first step is the hardest – admitting that you have a problem. \u00a0Which explains why so many of our friends are now watching TV in separate rooms. \u00a0It’s easier than arguing about volume and having to face the fact that we are turning into our grandparents.<\/p>\n