Returning to the theme of the portrayal of older women in literature I have been reading 'Swimming Home' by Deborah Levy and came across this quote. It refers to the elderly Madeleine Sheridan:
"She screamed at the waiter for a whiskey and a Pepsi for Jurgen, who disliked alcohol for spiritual reasons. It was hard for an old woman to get a waiter's attention when he was busy serving topless women in thongs. She had read about yogic siddhas who mastered human invisibility through a combination of concentration and meditation. Somehow she had managed to make her body imperceptible to the waiter without any of the training." (p.74)
(Photo from trip to Dartmoor with mum and dad)
Maybe it's just the winter but I can't be bothered to get out of bed, even when I'm hungry, so I am relying on the box of jelly babies on the bedside table to sustain me.
Had my first period for months over christmas, heavy and painful, lasted nearly a fortnight. New menopausal symptoms include lethargy, apathy, disinterest, boredom, and general can't-be-botheredness. Couldn't even be bothered with a new year resolution; I want to let myself sink into the slump and brood about it. I still have little bursts of enthusiasm and energy but they seem to tail off very quickly. See ... I've lost interest in writing this post already.
