Are These My Hands Now?

Are These My Hands Now? Aging and Me seeks to commiserate, educate, and motivate women to make choices about how they will feel and act as they age. 

Inspired by real experiences, the vignettes reflect the unique ways in which aging impacts women differently than men. They speak for and to other women to illuminate shared obstacles and opportunities, and to let kindred spirits know they are not alone.

Aging isn't easy on anyone, but it's more challenging for women, in all walks of life, than men. Intimately connected with the loss of attractiveness, women grow "invisible" as ageism and sexism collide. The perceived loss of power and beauty, two key levers in American society, devalues women, consequently creating an unjust disadvantage.

The only way to deal with these unstoppable changes is to choose how we age. Women can lament or rejoice, stagnate or grow, submit or prevail. If women are to feel more positive about our aging process, then we need to think differently about it. Recognizing that aging is merely another aspect of living, of being human, can be liberating.

Aging shows no mercy to our hands. The unforgiving light of a manicure illuminates our wrinkles, our bulging veins, and our prominent joints, all undeniable reminders that we are getting old. Often, the gap between how we feel as we age and what we see in our various reflections can feel surreal.

The significance of physical appearance for both sexes has always been different. For men, attractiveness is an advantage. For women, it is expected. Men have physiques that imply size, strength, or athleticism. Women have figures alluding to shapeliness and sexuality. Men are hunks, toned, and authoritative. Women are thin or voluptuous, diminutive, or desirable. 

Factually and anecdotally, the natural physical changes that accompany aging for both genders impact women more than men, and that means it is harder for women to find new jobs, lovers, and even friends.

The topic of women and aging is not only popular, but important to talk about and talk through.

Witty, candid, and reflective, Are These My Hands Now? seeks to help readers:

• Adopt a new mindset for aging
• Cultivate self-awareness and reveal individual biases
• Explore the power of choice 
• Envision the future

Rochelle Mucha PhD is a Management Consultant, Speaker, Educator, and Author. Her previous books include Aesthetic Intelligence: Reclaim the Power of Your Senses and Men and Me, From Entertainment to Insight. Previously, Rochelle created and led a boutique consulting firm, Business as Performance Art™ with a focus on Organizational Behavior, Leadership, Culture, and Change. Clients include Turner Broadcasting Company, The Home Depot, Cigna Group Insurance, The Coca-Cola Company, Synovus, and Dell Corporation. Prior to independent consulting Rochelle was Regional Director of Training for Marriott International, affiliated with Wadsworth Publishing and several global management consulting firms. Rochelle served as adjunct faculty for Terry College of Business, Coles College of Business and Saint Leo University. Most recently Rochelle was Founder of Roswell Arts Fund, an independent nonprofit arts organization in Roswell, Georgia.