Comments on: Cougar Barbie™ or Phenomenal Woman? You Choose…

By: Vernice

Vernice — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 01:55:48 +0000

Amen to this! Wonderful!

By: Anna

Anna — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:18:21 +0000

So well said – My colleagues and I (both male and female) have experienced this downgrading of age and experience in subtle and not so subtle ways – This entry is inspired. As a generation we have managed to redefine the culture all along the way – let’s do it one more time and take back our own wondrousness. Thanks for the on target insight. Am reposting wherever I can. This truth needs to be repeated over and over.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:39:34 +0000

Oh my gosh this is so lovely and true

By: Carol Mahoney, President - Live and Leap, Inc.

Carol Mahoney, President - Live and Leap, Inc. — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:04:16 +0000

…a swagger beats the hell out of a mantra any day.

By: Peg Robinson

Peg Robinson — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:40:34 +0000

While crossing the bridge to SF last night I remarked to the love of my life that I still remember the young woman of 40 years ago crossing the bridge and gazing at the nighttime skyline wondering when I was going to have a taste of the fabulous, glamourous, fun and meaningful life that other motorists seemed to be speeding toward. I seem to have that robust life life now at 60, even if I have shifted the definitions a bit. I feel fully engaged with lfe right now. I’m a business woman and an artist, a lover and a grandmother, and a seeker of others who have a taste of this path, no matter their generation or gender. It seems to me that some younger people, including that self of mine on the bridge 40 years ago, don’t have any sense of history, a continuum, generational advantages or the inexorable march of time and have compartmentalized their very existence and what is important based on the unrelenting pressure of media images about who is viable. If anything, I would like for us to discover some sort of generational bridge so we all could be valued for who exactly we are. Do we as older women have an “image problem”? Maybe so – and I can’t make recommendations on how to overcome it. I am convinced that if I keep engaged with life that in my small circle that includes a younger generation of women, maybe I can keep surprising them everytime I climb on my moptorcycle, produce a painting, or offer stories and counsel from my past. Maybe we don’t need a mantra to be visible; maybe we need a swagger.

By: loree

loree — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:23:07 +0000

The first time I heard the term “cougar” I thought “wow – I want to be one of those….” strong…lithe… sexy… powerful…. something that makes people feel admiration and maybe a little bit of fear. How powerful? The degree of power is shown by the degree of belittling inspired in the fearful.

I totally agree with your assessment of what we contribute professionally. I have more perspective, more patience, more stubbornness, and more creativity than I have ever in my life. I can build upon a wide swath of experiences- my own and from people I admire – and put them together in new ways that accomplish things that I only dreamed of when I was a kid of 40. All the while making everyone around me look good. I am fortunate – I do feel appreciated where I am now, something I don’t take for granted. It’s a virtuous circle.

By: joni Fisher

joni Fisher — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:34:55 +0000

Thank you! While I am seeing the same things you are, I refuse to buy into the perception that we’ve somehow passed our prime. The beauty of the Boomers is that we are now able to appreciate our differences and the wisdom that we have acquired through life’s experiences. I like being able to speak the “truth”; it’s our differences that flavor our brave new world – we no longer have to conform to the norms or labels that others may voice.

We, as the sage and courageous women before us, continue to pioneer and redefine who we are and the value that we share in the workplace, with our families and society as a whole.

No one has the right to define who we are and the gifts we have to offer, but ourselves. Personally, I find it refreshing to finally “get it” and feel comfortable in my own skin. To settle for less is to negate our collective accomplishments and the paths that we continue to forge.

Enjoy the journey and continue to do great things. Our daughters, and our daughter’s daughters, will thank you…

By: Patti McGuire

Patti McGuire — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:38:16 +0000

Amen sister! As you know, I am nearly 47 and not a mother, by choice, so I get the added burden of being seen as something less. So now my professional life is passing me by, and I don’t even have kids to point to as my life’s accomplishments?! Pardon my French, but I’m calling bullshit on the world! I live by my terms and do what I want. I have a great career, husband and friends and I will not go quietly. The older I get, the more I realize that the women in my life who I truly respect and admire still have it going on well into their 60s, and will probably continue on in their 70s and 80s. They are my role models and I intend to follow in their brave footsteps. Carol, thank you for roaring! I’m proud to join your pride.

By: jenna

jenna — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:35:31 +0000

Older is bolder is my mantra now. I am more confident, wise, open and in touch with my own femininity then ever before. Turning 40 this year (12/25) is knocking my socks off in a totally wonderful way!