Youthful Countenance

A Selfie Prospective

People often comment on how young I look. That could be a good thing or a bad thing since most don’t know my age  and believe me I don’t volunteer it.  (OK, I’m a little younger than Cher.)

Throughout my life,  I have adhered to a few basic rules that have helped me ward off stress, wrinkles, and grey hair; rules which helped develop the confidence needed to maintain a youthful persona and memorable longevity.  (Good family genes contribute substantially, but never think of them as a free ride.)

The Rules

Rule #1    I never wash my face with a wash cloth (I have dry skin) because it feels like sandpaper, stripping any oil out I may have .

Rule #2    I never wear face makeup (clogs pores) just eye makeup and lipstick.

Rule #3    I never sunbathe, but take lots of  vitamin D to  compensate.  Even as a young girl, I never sun bathed.  I had seen what devastation  the sun inflicted on the skin of  my mother and her friends; lots of wrinkles and freckles.  I said to myself, No Way Ray!

Rule #4    I have had an enduring love affair with vitamins, most importantly those specific to hair, nails and skin.

Rule #5    I stopped smoking in my  late 30’s but  wished I had never started.   Smoking causes wrinkles and is totally destructive to your body, inside and out.  As we all know,  bad habits are hard and tenuous to break, so avoid them at all cost (and that includes marijuana).  Drinking alcohol causes the skin to sag and age as well.  Moderation or abstinence is advised.

Rule #6     I smile a lot, laugh a lot and try to be positive. (Your face wrinkles less with laughter and more with anger.)

Rule #7     I went to the dentist every 3 months while living at home and at least every 6 months since then.  My beautiful teeth help enhance my  smile and boost confidence.

Rule #8     I faithfully get a check up and mammogram once a year,  and a colonoscopy once every 10 years.    Detecting a problem early can save your life.

Rule #9      I eat lots of green vegetables, (especially broccoli), fruits, (especially raspberries and blueberries) and drink Aloe Vera juice and water everyday.  Anti-oxidants are high on my list. I don’t drink 8 glasses of regular water daily like I should (because  I’d rather be drinking  8 cups of  Starbuck’s coffee), but I’m working on it.

Rule #10     Be Happy.  Exercise Daily.  Own a Fitbit HR.  Pray.      

                      The Curly, Grey-free Hair

There are two nationalities in my family that are predisposed to curly hair; Portuguese and Irish.  Back at college in the late sixties,  it was fashionable to have hair like Cher; long and straight. Well, being stupid and easily swayed,  I tried to straighten my hair with some product with the American Flag on it.  In the morning, to my horror,  I found most of my hair on the pillow.  I cried, I screamed, I jumped up and down.  I looked at the mirror with disbelief but mostly I prayed to God that my hair would grow back.

It did grow back after what seemed like an eternity, and I promised myself  to keep my hair long and natural and never be swayed by fashion again.  I thank my lucky stars and until this day,  I have never gotten grey hair (inherited from my red-headed dad); sorry about that Clairol.

♥The captivating Haida one of the Indigenous people of British Columbia,  have many mythological figures they believed in and one such touched home:  the spirit woman with curly hair who brought prosperity to anyone who caught her.  Awesome, right?

The Precious Teeth

When I was only four years old,  I caught Meningitis from a soldier visiting my family in Carmel, California.  He’d been stationed close by at the Fort Ord Military Base in Monterey, California (long since closed down). The only thing I remember was this soldier throwing me in the air and having dinner with us.

Shortly after our company’s visit I came down with an unmanageable fever accompanied by non-stop crying.   Mother rushed me to the hospital and upon examination was diagnosed with Meningitis.  This quick prognosis was driven by a red rash on my spine accompanied by high fever.

Our pediatrician had seen many cases like mine especially with Carmel’s proximity to a nearby army base where large numbers of people living in close quarters spread communicable diseases like wildfire.  Meningitis outbreaks were no stranger to the area.

I was quickly transferred to a quarantined section of the local hospital.  I only remember getting shots and people wearing white masks.  Children who contract Meningitis often die because of late diagnosis and severity of the disease. Those who live usually have lingering side effects. I was so fortunate that my only side effects were low levels of calcium and iron.  Although the doctor warned that if I was not cared for properly, I could lose all my permanent teeth before I was 12 with the probability of baby dentures  being fitted so I could chew.   It was not hard to imagine my young mother’s heartbreak with this prognosis.

I still have all my teeth as of this writing ( minus my wisdom teeth), primarily because of the devotion of my beautiful mother who could not imagine her first-born without teeth.  She faithfully took me to the dentist every three to six months  in a valiant effort to stay ahead of the prolific carries eating away at my weakened enamel.  Once I was living on my own I proceeded to go to the dentist every 6 months until this day.  Once I discovered that crowns could protect my enamel further and help deter root canals, I raised the call immediately.

Unfortunately, I’ve had to endure 12 root canals, 22 crowns, four wisdom teeth extractions and an ongoing battle with gum disease, at an estimated cost of $30,000.  But, I love my teeth and would have paid anything to keep them.  I can’t remember a single year that I didn’t owe a credit card for dental debt, but it eventually paid off in spades and I proudly wear the symbol of happy: smile pride.

 Good Doctors and Annual Exams

 It’s not just taking care of your outer self that is important,  going to the doctor and making sure you are healthy inside is paramount.  I go every year for my annual check up and appropriate testing.  No use looking young on the outside if your inside is abused.  End of Story.

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