The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-07-26
Its Seldom
Fatal To Be 40
BY CYNTHIA LOWRY
AP Newsfeafures Writer

ana pieces of advice around
these days aimed directly and
devastingly at an organized
minority group: the American
woman on the far side Of 40.
For . long time. . woman's
Goth birthday has been built up
until now it's milestono in
her life which assumes impor-
lance entirely out Of proper
lion with most women's feel
ings and reactions.
1t anyone were to ask me why
so many women lie about their
ages, I'd say that most of us
started in an effort to push away
and keep away as long as pos
slbie the evil day when we were
publicly bracketed in that dis
agreeable term of middle age"
Personally, Of course, I'm just
breaking out of my teens into the
glorious twenties, but I've no.
ticed that almost everyone who
writes and talks about the post
40 srou2 does so comfortingly,
the way a family doctor soothes
a patient who has a serious di-
sease but who must be treasured
at any cost. This is very fright
ening, because almost anyone so
situated can easily read between
the lines.
In the course of recent casual
reading, I've stumbled across
such advice as that urging all
women under 10 to have an an
nual physical checkup - but to
make certain they have one
every six months afte' that cru
cial birthday. This is undoubted-
ly excellent advice, but in such
fortnight form it sure makes
the post-40 reader suspect, with
considerable anxiety that the old
machine which she has found so
dependable for four decades has
overnight become an untrust-
worthy jalopy.
If the beauty and charm adj
visors were followed to the let
ter, goodness knows what weird
looking and acting women the
turned-40 group would be. The
over-40 woman, for instance,
should take particular pains with
her appearance just as if she
had been able to get away dur
ing the eos and sos with untidi-
ness and sloppiness. She should
! use makeup with a more lavish
- and more discreet - hand.
She should do all sorts of fancy
stuff with her hair. She should
pick her clothes with infinite
care. She should be particularly
careful about her family relation
ships. She should watch her diet,
exercise, take maps, tepid baths.
In other words, she should put
in something like a 23-hour day
taking care of herself.
And at the same time, just as
if it were possible, she should
make a new, stimulating life for
herself, putting in a major por-
ton of her time doing some kind
of constr, Give work volunteer
or paid - because this will car
ry her outside of herself and
give her interests" ('Interests"
keep woman from being a bore
to her family. the experts are
unanimous in agreeing.) She
should keep up with the news.
books, theatre, but she must not
under any circumstances 60 in
for afternoon bridge parties. She
must learn how to be an ex-
tremely adroit hostess, entertain
great deal, and d the same
time keep away from excuses in
any area.
However, this over-40 woman
is held out in other quarters as
the all-important reservoir of
emergency man-power. She's the
woman with the grown-up chill
dren, the leisure time and the
one who can be tapped for all
manner of jobs when we need
her.
No wonder the woman who
has turned 10 is a frightened.
confused person. On one hand
she has the beja bers scared out
Of her by a picture Of one plung-
Ing down the road toward SEN
ility and poor health. faced with
the prospect Of losing her looks.
her appeal and IL she's not
really careful her spouse. And
on the other hand. shes painted
as the savior Of America. tire
one important person with tire,
intelligence and ability 10 keep
the wheels turning in a time Of
need.
This being q campaign rear.
I'm In favor Of . bipartisan
drive 10 take the terrcr OUT Of
birthday ard 10 assume AZ
ne do for 80 many other
things that each person Ii
al Individual and thai age is