The Southwest Voice

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EGADS, I LOOK LIKE A PRUNE! 

The mirror above my bathroom sink had two burned out bulbs and since I don’t climb ladders or step-stools any more I asked my grandson, Jordan, who tops out at 6’3” to come over and replace them. They had been goners for months and I had purchased some of those new energy saving neon lights and wanted to use them.

He replaced them in just a few minutes, without the step stool, and I thanked him and he took off to get ready for work. I didn’t check out the new lights until the next morning when I was washing my face, and I did a double take when I looked in the mirror.

I had twice the amount of wrinkles I’d had before putting in the new bulbs. There was no way that could have happened over-night. My face had wrinkles on top of wrinkles. Crows feet were plentiful, laugh lines were twice as long and deep as before and the area above my lip looked like an old fashioned washboard.

I almost called him to come and take out the new bulbs, but then I thought about something my father had said when my mother gripped about having so many wrinkles, “Edna, those are character lines and they just show you have lots of character and have lived a good life.”

In no uncertain terms she told him he was nuts and they were old-age lines and were increasing every year. Like all women, she hated what was happening to her once smooth, soft skin.

Again, he tried to gloss over a bad situation with, “Honey, you’ve earned every one of those wrinkles.”

She looked in the mirror one more time, screwed up her face, turned from one side to the other, and told him, “You’re darned right I did.”

I looked in the mirror one more time and told myself, “Woman, you have earned every one of those wrinkles. So what if you look like a prune. There are dozens of prunes out there walking around, and since they haven’t found The Fountain of Youth yet, more and more prune faced women will be joining you every day.

So ladies, suck it up and be proud of every single wrinkle on your face, you’ve earned each and every one of them. Or, you could look in the Yellow Pages for a plastic surgeon.