confessions of a late bloomer

I was a late bloomer. But, anyone who blooms at all, ever, is very lucky.

~ Sharon Olds

I always feel like I am one step behind...maybe that's why it is hard for me to believe that I've been alive for over half a century. (wow, that sounds weird, even to me!) Not too long ago I looked at my calendar and there was an orthodontist appointment penciled in for Thursday and an appointment to have contact lens checked on Saturday. I know what you are thinking, been there, done that, lots of people have to cart their teenagers to doctor appointments. The big difference here is that the appointments were for me!

I had braces on my teeth when I was in my 30's, in fact I had braces on the day Mark and I were married. I don't regret one moment of it, but I can still remember how strange it was to be the only adult in a roomful of bubbly teenagers who were hoping they would get their braces off in time for prom. I was just hoping mine would come off before menopause. Fortunately, they did. Unfortunately, my retainer broke putting me back in the chair again. My vision was always crisp and clear and I could easily read in the dark, although I'm forced to admit that my mother's voice echoed in the back of my brain telling me "Turn on the light, you'll ruin your eyes". That was until I turned 40. The minute I blew out the candles, the vision started to fade. At first it was just reading glasses. Then a brief whirl with bifocals that proved to be disastrous, followed by the constant "Where did I put my glasses?". So, at 50 I decided to try contact lenses...at least I know where they are, if I am lucky enough to get them into my eye!

It wasn't just physical late blooming; I didn't drink coffee until I was well into my 40's, I clung to "big hair" and perms until just last year, and just recently figured out how to download pictures onto my computer. My face has a tendency to breakout still and even though my friends say they can't sleep past seven on their days off, I have no trouble snoozing until 10 or later.

The way I look at it, I may chronologically be almost 51, but I'm really only 25...in beauty queen years.