Feb 05 2010
Women over 50 on the Internet
Being a woman over the age of 50 who is faced with a certain predicament, and seeing as how I’m cooking up something….er…interesting…to get me out of it (which I’ll tell you about later), I thought I would Google “Women over 50″ to see if anyone is already doing what I’m cooking up. Reading what’s out there in the Internet is a great way of getting advice and it helps to spark ideas when making decisions regarding the “how” of it all. You might not be surprised at the search results, but I was.
The Internet is today’s great indicator, more so I think than any other media. Search results can give us a very good idea of what people are focusing on publicly, and certainly a very good idea of what people are talking about and what sells. Well, I guess search results can also give you an idea of how effective your search keywords are: If you get results that have nothing to do with what you’re searching for, it might be a good idea to choose different words. 
Searching for women over 50
Searching for “Women over 50″ is both general and specific enough to give me a nice list of articles, blogs and sites, or so one would think. Here is a list of the suggested searches (a list of auto-completed searches that pops up when I enter the words into the Google search field–selecting one starts the search for that string of words).
So, I type in “Women over 50″ and I get:
- hairstyles
- short hairstyles
- fashion
- videos
- dating
- beauty contest
- losing weight
- blogs
- magazine
- vitamins
- menopause
OMG! Are these our interests? (Yes, I admit it, I’m a woman over the age of 50.) I think it’s more a reflection of what others think our interests are, at least, I hope it is!
So, I clicked Women over 50 blogs and got some nice search results. Often, over 50-ers are referred to as “Boomers” and (oh, the shame,) “Seniors,” ahem! Personally, I don’t think of myself as either seeing as how I entered this world on the tail end of the baby boom, plus I look at the world through the same eyes I always did. Besides, “senior” is a relative term. 
Well, it looks like women over the age of 50 are talking about all of the above on the Internet, plus, have a very good attitude. Many claim that they shouldn’t be dismissed as substantial members of society because they have nice amounts of money to spend on whatever they want. Yeah, right. That’s me.
I don’t feel like a woman over the age of 50…wait…, YES I DO!
I want to say that I don’t feel like a woman over the age of 50. Why do I want to say that? Good question. Actually, what I guess I’m saying is that I don’t feel like what I have always expected that woman over 50 feel like. I actually do feel like a woman over the age of 50 because that’s what I am. I feel vital, alive, free, full of expression, full of dreams and music that’s just waiting to burst out of me, full of love, desire, joie de vivre, I feel beautiful, sexy (that’s right!), I’m longing to learn more, I’m flexible in mind, body and spirit, active, a go-getter, inspired, wise yet silly, satisfied yet hungry for more, …, I could go on and on. Yea, I was born in the 50’s and I’m oh-so-alive in my 50’s! Being over 50 is definitely cool.
So maybe there aren’t a lot of women over the age of 50 blogging. If I were to guess as to why, I would have to say that it’s probably because they’re out working, going to school, running businesses, helping in the community, exercizing, helping their families…
Or cooking! Hmmm now, what’s that really interesting thing I’m cooking up????? Well, I did say I would tell you later. I will, and I’ll also explain how the over 50 thing ties in. 
This latest entry of yours seems like a teaser but here goes anyway: Except for the last (menopause) all these seem like my (53 yr male) concerns as well. I am definitely concerned about losing weight; another 7 kilos on me would be great. I haven’t hit yet on the right haircut and videos and beauty contests are an interest though I find intelligence irresistable (that doesn’t come through much on the visual level, below the neck, at least). Dating a concern? It seems like to accept an invitation for a cup of coffee is the same as agreeing to being kidnapped by a pack of rabid dogs. I think that I’m reasonably attractive (though not as much as a friend who says I look like a movie star) and being in the top five percentile I can think (I like to think) my way out of most of the paper bags that come along, so I am led to assume that a lot of women feel “once bit, twice shy” but who doesn’t especially at our age? It seems to get harder and harder to let one’s heart open up for another go-’round but the solitariness gets more difficult as well. There is a disjunction in that most males in their 50’s have burned through much of the ambitions and dreams which 50 yeared women are beginning to find the opportunities to realize. Exciting times!
Why aren’t you concerned about menopause Ross?
You should send a picture for me to post so we can see the why of your concerns, and decide what type of movie you should play in, haircut would be suitable, etc. Your intelligence shows in your sense of humor.
Personally, I find that the more one loves oneself, the more one loves being by oneself. The company AND the conversation just get better and better…however, the quality of the time spent with others also increases.
Ambitions and dreams don’t usually die, they should be back there somewhere and they can evolve. You just need to look for them again and, like with so many other things and people, give them a bit of positive attention. They’ll respond if you do.
Glad you commented! Definitely exciting times!
Joanna
I know many incredibly creative and very inspiring women over 50 who blog. They’ve got a great take on life and don’t often get bogged down by the little crap. I think there’s even a blogroll out there somewhere for bloggers over fifty, I remember stumbling across it on someone or other’s blog.
I just turned 40 myself, but if the way I feel entering my sixth decade is at all like it felt to enter my fifth I will embrace it and the freedom and creativity it brings with open arms.
Good for you Robin! I was thinking today that we really need to change the way that the world sees people over the age of 50. The best way to do that is to change the way that we see ourselves. If those who are not yet 50 would think of this time as a vital one, a time when we have more opportunities than we previously did, then that’s what it will be.
The truth is that at the age of 50 +, we have new freedoms and are wise enough to take full advantage of them.
I would love to see that blogroll…
Joanna
I didn’t feel ‘over something’ until I turned 60. And then it hit that I was not 18 anymore .. even though I always felt that age all through those years. So I don’t feel 18 anymore. I feel a bit on the ‘used’ side. No one will hire you if you’re over 60. Medicare kicks in…..which I’m not complaining a bit about. I worked a long time for that. And I didn’t have insurance the past few years due to complications getting in the way. So I’m loving medicare. But there are time when I just want to get all this over with. My dad is 100. I DO NOT want to be 100. Absolutely do not!
Wow, Lucy, that’s amazing and wonderful, and I’m so glad you finally have health coverage. It’s such a hot issue right now…guess where I stand!
Is your dad healthy and active? My father had an uncle who lived to be over 100. When he turned 100, my dad decided to go visit him (he said, “how much longer will I be able to?) but he ended up running after him for a full week. Everywhere he went, people told him that he had just missed his uncle. He spoke with him on the phone several times, but just couldn’t catch up with the man!
I met a 90 year old woman in the post office the other day who is like that. She is so beautiful!
I guess it’s all a quality of life question. If you’re unhappy and quality of life is poor, it doesn’t really matter what age you are, you need a change.
Sixty sounds young to me now. Are there special things you woud like to do?
Thank you so much for your comment
I’m 51 and although the list above interests me, not the dating or the beauty contest (things of the past), it is not who I am at 51. I’ve been blogging for 5 years, have four dogs and a husband and love to write, photograph all sorts of things (flowers, dogs, landscapes, etc.), and have entered the wonderful world of menopause and the never ending woes of trying to keep my weight under control!
I love being in my 50’s! It is just the best!
Good for you Meribeth! I’m so glad to hear from you, and to hear that you’re blogging. What a wonderful attitude you have! I’ll go check out your blog right away.
Thank you for leaving your comment
I’ll try to track it down for you Joanna.
Found the link! Here you go Bloggers Over 50. The blog part of the site is just a placeholder for a description of the group, it isn’t updated regularly, it’s the blogroll in the sidebar that you’re looking for :).
Thank you for the link Robin. I’ll definitely check it out during my study breaks (one of which I’m on right now
)
Your blog readers seem like really great people.
Thanks again, back to Anyone Can Whistle.
I’m over 50 and read about you on Robin’s blog. What does 50 feel like? It feels like me! Never had kids, recently bought my own home, parents have passed, 1 brother, no nieces or nephews, two dogs, own a car, have no credit card debt, love to travel…and I have a thing for Johnny Depp.
Ah, Janet, you are living the good life.
I can defintey understand your thing for Johnny Depp…
As a woman over 50 who blogs I read your post with interest. Also, I recently posted about this topic myself as I had discovered a research study that found that older bloggers tended to be more negative than younger bloggers. I personally don’t agree with that finding and wonder what you think about the negativity (or positivity) of us over 50 bloggers?
Patricia,
Well, I don’t know about that. I do often find a sort of reverse negativity though…in other words, often when people are trying to be positive, they’ll word what they’re saying with a somewhat negative focus. For example, when someone wants to express their positive attitude about getting a raise at work, they might write, “I’m hoping to get more money,” which implies that they’re not getting enough.
But that’s very common anyway. Anyway, the link in your post is broken so I couldn’t read what they said. Did they just read some blogs, or did they actually do reasearch and compare what they found among the baby boomers to what is generally out there?
YOUR blog, BTW, is very up and humorous! I’ve added a link to my blogroll.