I just love "Maxine." She says the things I'm thinking, but probably wouldn't say....well, maybe sometimes I would. A lot depends on who I'm saying it too!
It's been a while since I gave up pretending I was getting old. There are a few perks. I can't complain about the senior discounts, or about being able to retire. I also love that my "give a damn" has disappeared . . . well, it's become more selective. A lot of stuff that I used to care about I just don't care about anymore. Fashion trends? Nope. Being up with the latest celebrity gossip? Nope. Caring that my shoes don't match? Nope, not unless it makes me walk funny. But then when I get out of my chair I mosey around like John Wayne, so I might not even notice.
The downside is that I've become more familiar with my doctor than ever before. I'm in pretty good health "for my age" and recently had a great checkup. However, I sprained my wrist 3 months ago and it still hasn't healed, and I wake up stiff and sore all over. And, I'm only 61! It doesn't help that my older friends tell me there's more "joy" to come. The golden years? Yeah, really.
Now, I'm still considered a youngster by a lot of my friends and age is relative. I know I must be absolutely ancient to my son and his friends, but to their moms, well, not so much. It's amazing how old 30 seems until you're twice that age and you realize how truly young 30 is!
It's not all terrible, getting older. I like to think that with age comes wisdom, and for some people that's the case. I think, however, that for most people it's not that we're wiser, we've just figured out which things are worth getting our knickers in a twist over, and which things aren't.
It's liberating to reach the age when you don't care so much what other people think of you. It's like, I am who I am, and I'm not so bad, so just deal with it! It's also kind of nice to be able to look at all of the younger people doing the same stupid things I did and realizing that I wasn't really "stupid" I was just young. Those were the days when I thought I knew everything. Now I know I didn't then, I don't now, and I probably never will.....and that's OK!
It's the same with my quilting. I've been doing this for so long that I can't remember not doing it. I heard Alex Anderson speak once about the early days of the new quilting renaissance and I remember it well. She lives not far from where I grew up and I used to travel to the shops she talks about and remember what a revelation it was that quilts could be considered to be more than bed coverings. I was there for the beginning of this new quilt revolution and have been riding the wave ever since.
I guess that makes me a "Senior" in the quilting world, (although I must keep saying, I started verrrrrrry young!). It's given me a different perspective on the art and the industry. It's exciting to see how things have changed, how we quilters have managed to create and support a huge industry, and have brought about changes in the way long standing businesses operate.
Because of our insatiable desire for the next best thing, fabric manufacturers are looking outside of their usual designer pool, and creating more new lines each year than ever before. Craft stores are full of new products and a whole new generation is discovering the joy of making something themselves. Now we see different crafts intersecting in unusual ways and artists coming out of the craft world that are finally being accepted as "fine artists."
Just look at the magazine section in your local bookstore. The number of titles of craft related publications have soared. I remember years ago that the only quilting magazines were "Quilter's Newsletter" and "McCall's Needlework and Craft" (which sometimes had quilts in it and sometimes not). Now we have a huge selection from lifestyle oriented magazines to pattern magazines, not to mention the publications from England, Ireland, Japan, France, and Australia. We are truly spoiled!
I also wonder if we aren't going to see a lot of new "Covid" quilters join us in our journey. I was amazed at the stories of shortages of sewing machines over the last year. Initially it was for mask making, but I know several people who have started sewing all kinds of other things for their homes and themselves. Once you get that sewing bug you know what happens, you can't stop!
Sometimes I think back to the old days when finding quilt related stuff was a real treasure hunt. It was exciting to find something new. Now, there's so much new stuff that it can feel overwhelming. The last big show I was at had my head spinning for days.
It's kind of the same with quilting as it is with the rest of my life. Getting older has made me a bit wiser; I know what's worth getting upset about and what isn't, and I know what I've got to have and what I can do without. My only regret is that I didn't figure this out when I was younger. Oh well!
Happy Stitching!
Susan
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