Advertising to babyboomer women

I got this picture in an email for a menopause website last week and I just felt discouraged that they wouldn't take more time to find an image that more closely depicted someone my age. Here's what I put in my newsletter and then go here to see the numerous responses:

Most of you know that I don't make much of an issue out of my age (I'll be 60 in April) or the fact that I'm not the pretty young thing of my youth (I'd say until I hit about 40?), but I'm finally at the point where if someone is going to claim they are speaking to ME as a middle aged woman who is NOT a model, they really should try to use age appropriate photos so as not to send me over the edge like this one did.

I tried to let it go unnoticed, really I did, because it was in one of the fairly reliable, interesting, and as they say, "trusted" sources for menopause information, but my eyes kept going back to the smooth face on this lovely girl, the smokey, sultry eyes and that sunlit, slightly tossled mane of blond hair. I've got to be honest, I have no idea what is in the rest of the email. This really deflated my energy level today for some reason.

After nearly 11 years of running my website, I'm fully aware that the woman in the picture could very well be suffering with symptoms of peri-menopause and her looks have nothing to do with the need for information, but how do we get it through to these people who are trying to sell us something that we need to feel represented, understood and taken seriously. I may be wrong, but what do you want to bet that it's a man who put this particular email together? I really doubt if it was a woman, or if it was, it was a young woman who probably thought "this woman looks like she's wondering why she pee'd her pants as she was getting down off her horse." I just want to have the opportunity to review a product or information that is truly made for my benefit without feeling like whoever is pushing this or that, assumes they know what I need or want. And trust me, there are millions of women who feel the same as I do. Your comments are welcome.

How to approach a birthday!

Every year I hear the same thing from friends and family....they start talking about their upcoming birthday like it was something that had never happened before! My Mother is the worst and she's 77 as of April 3! I keep wondering, has she forgotten that she says the same thing every year? "I'm not having anymore damn birthdays!!" At least she doesn't say she's "39 and holding". I get kind of tired of that one too. I think my daughter has taught her daughter to say "29 and holding". She's going to be 34 in September.

Fortunately, most of the people that I talk to are between 50 and 63 and strangely enough, they're not moaning and groaning about their age! I know it's the way our generation (the babyboomers) have taken on every segment of their lives that has prevented them from falling in that "deny your birthday, deny your existance, deny your mortality" frame of mind. All we really want to do is celebrate our one special day of the year and would really love to have our friends and family feel cheery WITH us, but NOOOOOOOO....if we mention our birthday, it sends most people off to their deep, dark thoughts about their OWN dreaded unhappy day. :(

I like it when women throw themselves a birthday party!! How cool is that and since they're in charge they can kick out anyone who is not acting like the proper 4 year old at their party! I would also kick out anyone who did not bring a gift!! That seems to be the biggest disappoint when MY birthday rolls around (coming April 27, by the way...heheheh)....how can people who KNOW it's your birthday, NOT buy you a gift???? But they do it (or DON'T do it). I can't remember the last birthday gift I received. It might have been a pair of gold earrings from my cousin, Sharon...yep, I think that was it because I said, "ahhhhh, you didn't have to do that, especially since I never even remember YOUR birthday!" I have to say though, Sharon is not one of the age appropriate ones I mentioned who are taking their birthdays gracefully...no, she's more like my Mother in that she would rather not even mention the horrible day!

This year I'm going to let it all slide....the comments, the e-cards (instead of real cards), no cake, no presents from the kids (and they're all old enough and make more money than I do, so there's no excuse), and anything else that makes April 27 seem like just another day. That's because this year I'm turning 59. You see what I'm getting at, right?

Oh, but I pity the person who doesn't make SOME kind of special effort next year!! I'll be working on becoming healthy and good looking again!!
:) No more excuses about forgetting, Sister! No more 6pm phone call from the kids saying "Happy Birthday".....and I mean literally, that's it! I have had more heartfelt greetings from my minniepauz.com subscribers who I've never even met!

So this year, from 4/27/07 to 4/27/08, I'm going to be working on myself and secretly working on everyone around me to help me make my 60th birthday the best one ever!! So that's my advice on how to approach a birthday!

1. Start a year early!

2. Tell everyone you know!

3. Write out a birthday wish list (just like a Christmas list)

4. Plan your own party (so they HAVE to show up and are obligated to bring a gift! :)

5. Let your inner kid come out!

And for those of you who have been single for a long time, even if you haven't met anyone in the last 10 years, find yourself a date for that night! Either get someone to do you a favor (like the 28 year old neighbor-with a sense of humor) or spend a few bucks to rent an escort! What better way to say, "hey, I'm still celebrating life!!"

What are some of your suggestions for making birthdays fun again?

Still not getting here daily.

I must really have a mental block against posting each day. I'm still struggling with the definition of what I'm doing here....is it a journal? To me that means PRIVATE, so this cannot be a journal for me. I kept a daily journal for 22 years, but when I go back and read them (notebooks), I realize that I was depressed the entire time. Whoa!! That's really sad, but it was true. I stopped writing in my journal when I started reaching outside myself. I've tried to get back into it, but I have the same problem that I have with posting here daily. Very strange.


Ok, so what's going on this week? I can't resist mentioning that a writer from Forbes magazine contacted me on Friday (then a "fact checker" called today to verify the info). He said it's a very small article about how people (women?) are making money from menopause related businesses. I sure hope it does better for me (traffic wise) than the TIME article did last year! I got NOTHING from that because they didn't even use the interview and didn't put the web address in the side bar next to my picture. It still irritates me. That could have been such a great opportunity...I'm sure it was for the ones that made it into the article. Let's all just hope the Forbes piece does better.



The other news is that I'm in the countdown for getting my new dentures. Tomorrow is step 2 of a 5 step plan to finalize the making of the dentures, which includes bottom ones that attach to the implants I got nearly 6 months ago. This has been such a long process and sometimes I still can't believe that I have no teeth! (That always reminds me of what guys used to say was their "dream girl"...hahahah.....can't imagine why! Oops, got off track there.) Then I finally found the humor in my "condition" and was able to make a cartoon (for my dentist) out of it.



Well, that's not bad for today! :) If I can get here tomorrow (after my dentist appt.), that will be an accomplishment. There's still a lot I need to figure out on using this. I'd love to hear from anyone who has dentures in their 50's and early 60's. I've got all kinds of concerns...like how do you get back into dating???? Oh My!!!