Dance Like No One is Watching

Reading a friends blog made me giggle, made me sad, and struck me as something I should be writing. Telling a story of a 40-something-balding-out-of-shape guy dancing by his lonesome self trying to get it on with the girls on the dance floor... man, sometimes I feel like that guy. Desperately trying to reach out, wondering if anyone sees me.

I am becoming the invisible woman. Oh, wait scratch that - I'm the Woman Only Seen By 40-something-balding-out-of-shape guys. I remember a mature person who labeled herself as the Invisible Woman. She shared her absolutely depressing views on how we, the female species, age and now I will share this ill-fated wisdom with you.

In our late teens we are often seen as young women with hard bodies, who knew everything, and dated boys with tattoos, piercings, and a motorcycle. We were the envy of the 30 somethings who wished they could do it all again, sans sagging asses and adult acne. Then came our twenties when were educated, pretending to like martinis, and claiming we knew the true meaning of "oh god, remember when...??", Stars on 45, and dreaming of being taken to Funkytown in our nighties. Through it all we were still gawked at, honked at, whistled at, poked, groped, and hit on.

Now comes our actual thirties when less heads turn as we walk by. We're considered to be mothers, career-women with families, grocery bag touting mommies who discuss preschool mishaps, women who are slowly becoming invisible. Sidebar: what happens when you're not actually one of these?

Forties... yeah, won't even go there. I'm not in that stage of life and would hate the wrath of comments that may follow from actual 40 year olds who may not appreciate this second-hand wisdom. I won't even delve into the fifty+ market, you guys get the idea.

The Invisible Woman - someone in their twenties could never understand what it feels like when it starts to happen. When you only get the attention from guys who wear tuques in the bar, have four teeth and smell like cabbage while they're offering to buy you a drink with their pocket full of toonies! What happened to that young virile totally make my knees weak hottie that used to take me in by the eye full? Hmph...

So, thinking about it now, would it be so bad to Dance Like No One Is Watching? At least someone is lookin'... even if it's just to point and laugh at your jabbing-the-air dance moves.