ageism

i was at the hairdresser's last week having my hair cut as you do when you go to a hairdresser and as usual we started chatting..you know the sort of thing..

h: 'how are you?'
j: 'yeah, i'm good thanks..you?'
h: 'i'm good too..do you keep busy?'
j: 'i won't live long enough to do everything i want to do'
h: 'what sort of things do you like doing?'
j: 'well..i've got a blog'
h: 'what did you say?'
j: 'i've got a blog'
h: 'oh..i thought that's what you said but i wasn't sure if i'd heard wrong..most people don't know what a blog is..what do you write about?'

i told him that i mainly write about recipes that i create and that occasionally i write about other things  and i gave him the example of a food waste post i did a while back about which i elaborated a little..when i mentioned that i was on facebook too he asked if i used it to stay in touch with people..i told him that i tended to use it more to stay informed about social and political issues through the abc, radio national, national geographic and so on..i also told him that i follow a couple of graffiti and street art sites because i have a strong interest in the way it's used by some as a platform for social and political expression..

his surprise at my involvement with social media was palpable..what i didn't mention were all the other things i do such as bushwalking, mowing my lawn with a hand mower, chopping wood, growing most of my own vegetables, making all of my bread, yoghurt, jams, cold pressed soap and greeting cards, renovating a house on my own (stripping wallpaper, sanding, painting, chipping off tiles etcetera), sewing, cooking, restoring furniture and so on..and by the way i didn't mention that just a day or so earlier i'd moved 3/4 ton of split red gum firewood from my driveway and stacked it in my shed..

i've had a few days to think about the interaction i had with him and why i feel as if i've made a significant change..in the not too distant past i would not have talked about myself like i did after being asked 'do you keep busy?' i know i would have felt uncomfortable with the question but at the time i would not have been able to identify what the discomfort was telling me..after considerable rumination i might have eventually realised but that would have only made me feel worse..in responding the way i did i've realised that i stood up for myself rather than allowing myself to be patronised with an ageist question..a question that i doubt he would have asked a younger client..

note:
h=hairdresser
j=jane