"I am 44 years old and I might be the only woman I know who doesn't mind getting older. In fact, I relish it. Don't get me wrong - I'm not fond of everything that comes with it. My hips hurt. My eyesight is getting worse. I'm forced to decide between a glass of wine or a sleepless night. Gray hair, not-so-fine lines, and deep wrinkles are certainly humbling. Oh, and my moisturizers are now more expensive than they've ever been."
"I remember the first time a man I didn't know put his hands on me. It happened in broad daylight at a popular spot in Brooklyn, New York, where locals go to enjoy the view of the Hudson River and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge that connects my borough to Staten Island. I was 15 years old and enjoying summer break. I spent my days biking around the city and often stopped at this spot, which I'd loved since my parents took me there."
A 44-year-old woman acknowledges physical drawbacks of aging—hip pain, declining eyesight, sleep loss linked to alcohol, gray hair, lines, and more expensive moisturizers. She values an acquired invisibility that reduces unwanted male attention. She recognizes societal harshness toward aging women but notes that invisibility can offer safety and freedom. A teenage sexual assault at a Brooklyn waterfront left a lasting emotional scar and fear of certain places. The assault was sudden, public, and led to years of self-blame. The experience shaped long-term vigilance and awareness of pervasive predatory behavior toward women and girls.
Read at BuzzFeed
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