VIV Says: Blog

Frankly, we’re a little tired of hearing people say things like “30 is the new 20” and “40 is the new 30.” So we love the title of Suzanne Braun Levine’s new book: 50 Is the New Fifty (Plume, 2010). As the first editor of Ms. magazine, Levine is no stranger to inviting discussion on women and aging, coining the term “second adulthood” for women over 50 in Inventing the Rest of Our Lives (Plume, 2005).

In her latest book, Levine promises 10 life lessons, delivering inspiration with wisdom, honesty and humor, and drawing upon stories of her own, as well as tales and quotes shared by other women — including Helen Mirren, Gloria Steinem and Marlo Thomas. Our favorite tidbit is from author Madeleine L’Engle: “The great thing about getting older, is that you don’t have to lose all the other ages you’ve been.” To this, Levine adds, “We are at a point where our lives are finally beginning to add up.”

Levine opens the book with the clarification, “Sixty, I hasten to add, is also the new sixty, and seventy the new seventy. And the women who are the new fifty, sixty and seventy wouldn’t want to be anything else.” If there is any bad news, she notes that ageism still is an issue: “It’s very hard to convince yourself that you are as happy and fulfilled as you feel when the world around you is blowing you off.”

Levine encourages women to find “horizontal role models” — women who can share insights, anecdotes and resources for dealing with second adulthood’s issues, such as recalibrating their place in the world in terms of changing relationships and priorities. (Check out our VIV Moments section for some excellent examples.) She also talks about outspoken behavior and a sense of daring that causes her to rename the decade “Fuck-You Fifties.”

Life lessons delivered in the book include “Nothing changes if nothing changes” and “No is not a four-letter word.” “Many of us grew up afraid of the word [no], both as a statement by us and as a reply to us,” Levine says. Several inspiring stories are shared — including the tale of a woman who didn’t take no for an answer when her husband told her she wasn’t going to graduate school and another who said no to a destructive relationship. Other chapters include “Age Is Not a Disease,” “Your Marriage Can Make It” and “Every Crisis Creates a ‘New Normal.’ ”

Levine’s look at 50 and beyond is honest and inspiring, as a launch into a new, exciting stage of life. (As in many cases, “exciting” can become “terrifying” at times, but this book acknowledges that and is here to help!) What are your thoughts on age 50 and beyond?

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