See life through the eyes of 6 women with infinitely youthful perspectives. Bridget, Gillian, Daphne, Sue, Jean and Lady Trumpington are a group of extraordinary women. With an average age of 80, the group share a spirited and optimistic outlook on life, despite many of them being widowed and the expectation society has for them today. They have not faded into the background or turned into ‘little old ladies’ as they have matured, but retained the same interests they have always had, including a love of fashion and keeping up appearances.
Bridget claims she has always been one for experimentation with colour, shapes and styles, but it is now much more noticeable to others now as she is older. Understandably, it’s a surprise to see such a boldly dressed elderly woman walking down the street, but she does it for herself and exclaims ‘It’s nothing to do with looking younger…. I think I am a bit of a show off!’.
Gillian still loves to wear mini skirts, and although much of the public may ask ‘Who does she think she is?!’ as it is associated with those closer to adolescence, she says ‘I don’t give a toss!’ and remains in a full time performance arts career at 87.
All women have refused to give into the mental concept of ageing. Yes, they may accept the physical attributes of a maturing lady, but they embrace these and demonstrate their young minds with sprightely attitudes and activities. Dancing, jogging and doing yoga, even being independent by doing the weekly food shop alone and going to the hair salon, in their 80s is seen as unsuitable for their age. Nevertheless, they all succeed each day by claiming each morning as the beginning of a new day. Seeing everyday as another to live in the future, these women have more appreciation for their vitality than a lot of teenagers I know!
It is not necessarily the style that these women have which is so admirable, as I agree, not all women must be fashion-queens with a taste for exotic colours and textures, but it is their mindset that is so infectious. It seems to me, they have never believed they have been getting older, and when I watch them talk about the things they continue to love and live for, I trust they haven’t felt older than 21 in their lives.
With a history of elderly mental illness in my family, it is impossible to believe that there can be people in their mid-80s, the age of my own grandma, who are so psychologically agile. It is scary to imagine my mother or myself ‘losing our marbles’ sooner than we would like, but these women give us faith for the dismissal of invisibility our older generations face. If that means doing yoga, wearing whatever I like and doing a bit of BrainTraining now and again, it sounds like a pretty sweet life.
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