AGING IS CHANGING BY CANDY CIMA
FEBRUARY 2024
By Leizbel Perdomo
As a proud member of Generation Z, born in 2000, the internet has significantly shaped my 23 years of life. Adapting to new technologies, accessing instant information, and coming of age in an era marked by open-mindedness and diversity have been defining aspects of my experience. However, I also navigated the rise of diet culture, the glamorization of plastic surgeries, unattainable Instagram standards, and accumulated anxiety, stress, body image issues, and a fear of aging.
In middle school, time couldn't move quickly enough. My friends and I daydreamed at our lunch table about the day we would be old enough to drive, wear more than just pink lip gloss, and embrace the world of grown women doing grown-up things. After turning 21, we developed a collective fear of wrinkles, loose skin, and the looming age of 25. Social media became a driving force, pushing us to grow up as fast as possible. However, when you do, make sure to conceal any signs of aging that may appear in the process.
The thought of where I would be, what I would wear, and what I would do at 70 years old never crossed my mind. It was always about going to college, getting married, having kids, sending them to college, and and then a blank space. We've been bombarded with countless must-do anti-aging hacks and creams, to the extent that it's now a TikTok trend for girls as young as 10 to plead with their parents for $80 anti-aging skincare from Sephora. No one guides you on what to do in the next stages of life, only on how to avoid them.
Enter Candy Cima, also known as LifeinMy70s, who celebrates and embraces aging, providing a breath of fresh air for someone who has only known the opposite. It's deeper than her pride in aging skin or wearing shorts and tighter dresses. It's about her showing me the possibilities of continuing to do and enjoy things at an older age, which I thought were unattainable. Getting older doesn't mean life is ending; it's a privilege to continue growing, learning, and enjoying life from a new perspective as the years pass.
Candy has not only become a role model for what I aspire to be at 70, but I've also started incorporating some of the things I've learned from her into my life at 23. Taking care of your mind and body while looking great doing it!
The more I get to know Candy and catch glimpses of her life, the smaller my fear of aging becomes. The changes and uncertainties may still be a little intimidating, but that's what makes me excited. In her blog post titled “5 Things I Absolutely Love about Aging”, Candy's fifth reason speaks directly to my evolving perspective:
“5. I Can See How Far I have Come: Aging means you are growing and now you can not only see how far you have come but how far you can still go. Aging does not mean stopping it means you now have an accumulated wisdom that is unstoppable if you want it to be. Let the “want too” inside of you lead you to new places and new things.”
Candy's messages have transformed my perspective on aging, shifting from the world of anti-aging to a sense of pride with each passing year. I now find comfort in the belief that aging is a journey filled with valuable lessons and the promise of new experiences.