I am turning..

I don’t want to be the kind of woman who lies about her age. I had a friend who was 9 years older than me but never talked about her age. Whenever people asked how old she really was, she said she was 29, 39 or “my daughter tells me I still look like I am 21.” (No you don’t)..aww I am so mean but I was like, why can’t you be happy with who you re, and your age…but as a woman, I do understand where she was coming from.

But I don’t lie my age when people ask me. I started to dread getting older when I was probably around 24 years old. Wow,,I was so young but I used to have that Japanese mentality that women are judged so harshly based on their age.

Women in late 20s aren’t so young in Japan..they should have significant others and should be married. Although many Japanese women in late 20s choose not to marry so soon nowadays, the society is very critical of us..and women in 30s, forget it!

It is extremely difficult to even find a career job with full benefits if you are a woman in 30s in Japan.

My sister who is a 32 years old has a stable job now. She switched the company when she was 28 and it was the last chance according to her. I don’t have any intention of finding a job in Japan but I guess age matters. It really matters. My other sister is in her early 30s and she decided that she really wanted to leave her job and started fresh in another company.

She failed a series of interviews and one recruiter even gave her an honest feedback. “It is nothing personal..just that Nakata san, you are already in 30s and if you are 28, it was a different story.” My sister was appreciative of this recruiter who was at least honest with her and didn’t give bull shit sugar coated excuses.

So anyways, some people on twitter and Facebook ask me but I was born in 1979 so I am turning 36 years old!!! NOOOO! I cannot believe how this year has just gone by so quickly that I don’t even remember how I spent my last birthday. I am thankful that I am relatively healthy and have lived this long in a safe environment.

People complement my skin and even tell me I look like I am still in college..even if they were just saying that to make me feel better, I am appreciative. I am thankful for my age and it’s been a great year so far. So if anybody asks me, I would say my age honestly. I am going to be 36 years old on September 19. I hope to graciously age and be beautiful for my age and shine from within.

I think women of all ages deserve to graciously age and feel beautiful inside out. So if you are the kind of person who is ashamed of your age, please do think twice and understand where your thought is coming from. Maybe you are like me, the society taught you to believe that women in late 20s are very old, in fact they are not even at their prime time!

We have to enjoy our lives and live to the fullest. This is my time and also your time. Happy Birthday to me, you and everybody who was born in September. By the way, I am a typical Virgo. 🙂