'51'

Invisibility.

If I were to chose a super power this may be the one I would go for, although according to a recent survey, as a woman in her 6th decade it appears that I already have it:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/04/hilary-mantel-older-women
This is a great piece from Hilary Mantel and one that cheered me up about my impending invisibility. My 6th decade has, so far, been a good one. In fact, professionally at least, I am far from invisible and have finally discovered what it is that I want to do in my career. If I am one of the fortunate ones who manages to keeps their job in the current economic climate then the rest of this decade will be challenging and exciting. If I am made redundant no doubt I will find out just how invisible a woman in her 50s is to prospective employers. Being invisible to employers is far more serious than being invisible to men.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1355818/50-The-age-woman-invisible-opposite-sex.html Being invisible to the opposite sex has nothing to do with age. Some people are borm invisible.
I mean - does age really matter? Sadly yes, but no one seems to take ageism that seriously. With talk of redundancies at work speculation is rife about who will be for the chop and I have lost count of the number of times I have heard people say about some older colleagues 'she's in her 60s - she should be made redundant.' Nobody challenges this, instead everybody nods in agreement. Well, those who are still in their 30s and 40s do. Those of us in our 50s suddenly feel old and powerless. 'They will be saying that about me soon' we oldies think. I find myself reading articles I would have normally have had little interest in about women who are prepared to stand up and fight this blatant discrimination. Just like Miriam O' Reilly did in her battle with the BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12161045
O'Reilly has shrugged off her clock of invisibly much to the delight of many older women. Yet we can all be guilty of ageism. Only the other day I found myself asking 'what do the young know about heartbreak?' as I was listening to the beautiful voice of Adele.  I was given a copy of Adele's CD '21' and although she is an incredibly talented young woman and the CD contains some memorable songs, I feel that, at 21, Adele is too young to be singing lyrics that are so angry and painful. Even if she did write them. Take 'Rumour Has It'

She is half your age,

But I'm guessing that's the reason that you strayed,

 What is he? a paedophile? You are better off without him love. 'Rolling In The Deep' - her song of revenge?

 Throw your soul through every open door,
Count your blessings to find what you look for,
Turn my sorrow into treasured gold,
You'll pay me back in kind and reap just what you've sown,

Oh such anger for one so young. Although I imagine writing these songs of heartbreak and despair are her way of dealing with these destructive emotions.

 'Don't You Remember'
I know I have a fickle heart and bitterness,
And a wandering eye
And a heaviness in my head,


Bitterness? Heaviness in her head? I think Adele should have saved some of these songs until she became invisible and called it '51'. Then some of her lyrics portray a maturity that belies her real age. In 'Someone Like You' Adele uses the word 'bittersweet'.  This word makes me think of the Buddhist teaching that calls for 'joyful participation in the sorrows of the world'. The acknowledgment that heartbreak and pain are inevitable and if we accept this we embrace the experience of being alive.
Having read a bit more about Adele it seems she is a girl of excess and someone who loves too much. A deadly combination but one that produces some great music -
http://www.omgmusic.com/news/adele-thankful-she-broke-up-from-her-ex-boyfriend