What does it mean to embrace the changes that come with getting older? How can you maintain your sense of humor while facing the challenges of aging?
In Excuse Me While I Disappear, Laurie Notaro shares her journey through middle age with wit and wisdom. Her personal stories and observations offer both comfort and laughs to anyone experiencing the physical and emotional shifts that come with time.
Keep reading to discover how to age gracefully while maintaining your spirit and sense of humor.
How to Age Gracefully
In her uplifting and frequently amusing narrative, Notaro explores both the challenges and victories of aging. Through reflections on her past and stories that provoke hearty chuckles, she shares meaningful advice on how to age gracefully and offers support to those navigating the various phases of midlife.
Personal Evolution and Identity
As she contemplates her growth since early adulthood, Notaro humorously contrasts her past, vibrant self with the more refined person she has become. She reflects on previous fashion choices, such as coloring her hair a rich red, and considers how her priorities and appearance have evolved over time. Despite her modest demeanor and sometimes being underestimated because of her mature locks, Notaro maintains that her core identity remains unchanged. She still delights in the same jokes, savors the same food, and enjoys the same movies she always has. Her silver threads, she believes, simply signify her belonging to an extraordinary generation.
Notaro muses over her personal development and gained insights, humorously comparing her scars to those of a prisoner while acknowledging her fifty years of lived experiences. Her mind has cleared space once occupied by childhood recollections to accommodate an array of security codes and personal identification numbers, as she continuously acquires new knowledge. She cherishes the wisdom that accompanies aging, viewing every silver strand as a learned lesson.
Navigating Middle Age With Humor
Notaro enriches her discussions with amusing stories and observations that resonate with common middle-age experiences. Her outburst about her ova having “ceased to be viable!” exemplifies this, as does her humorous navigation of household life while managing unexpected aspects of menopause. She confronts physical tribulations head-on, from the discomfort of separating her upper legs to managing severe heartburn that required raising her bed with wooden blocks, along with the realities of urinary incontinence. She amusingly admits that her earlier concerns about hair loss and physical changes were unfounded.
Notaro welcomes the unexpected delights of middle life, valuing everything from freedom from pregnancy concerns to the triumph over stubborn facial hair, and the joy of cruising in her beloved car that stirs pleasant memories. She finds community among peers who share insomnia-induced activities and recognizes the humor in everyday senior moments.
Finding Strength and Self-Acceptance
Notaro’s stories express the resilience and confidence that come with age. She maintains composure while addressing an impatient, younger male driver, and greets her gray-haired contemporaries with knowing nods. Her assertiveness and unapologetic stance suggest that age brings not just experience and knowledge but also inspiring self-assurance.
Throughout her accounts, Notaro challenges negative stereotypes and advocates for self-acceptance. She humorously dismisses her mother’s views on her decision to wear her naturally gray hair and embraces senior discounts without shame. She demonstrates that aging isn’t a dismal progression towards insignificance but rather a vibrant tapestry woven from joyful moments, important life lessons, and experiences that eliminate regret. Notaro champions welcoming the progression of age with zeal and a robust sense of humor.
