We all know we’re going to grow old. For most of us, though, we don’t have to do that in the public eye.
Society pushes products to erase away the signs of aging, charging huge sums of money to make it seem as if growing old is something you can stop. And in a day and age where every aspect of life is documented online and then judged by people who sit on their computers, aging can become something to be bullied about.
Especially if you’re a world-famous former supermodel. Apparently living longer and aging isn’t a good thing, to some people. And they had no problem telling Paulina Porizkova, now 57, that her growing older was sad to see. But Porizkova had a few things to teach the commenter, as did her millions of fans.
Porizkova recently tweeted a photo of herself in a bikini alongside a comment from someone that had quite a bit to say about her getting older.
“You must be in so much pain to keep posting bikini pictures at your age. I’ve always thought that getting old and ugly is hardest on the pretty people. The fall from grace is so much farther when you were beautiful. Ugly people were always ugly so getting old and ugly isn’t a change. In summary, I feel your pain. I pray you can come to terms with your mortality. We all get old and ugly…you just had to fall from a greater height than the rest of us. Tears Times Infinity!”
But the model refused to let the person, as well others who had similar things to say, get away with it.
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“Here’s a good follower comment- echoing a few others,” Porizkova wrote on Instagram “A woman of 57 is ‘too old’ to pose in a bikini – no matter what she looks like. Because ‘Old’ is ‘Ugly.’ I get comments like these every time I post a photo of my body. This is the ageist shaming that sets my teeth on edge. Older men are distinguished, older women are ugly.”
“People who believe prettiness equals beauty do not understand beauty,” she continued.
Pretty is easy on the eyes, partly because it’s a little bland, inoffensive. It’s easy to take in and easy to forget. Not so beauty. Beauty can be sharp. It can wound you and leave a scar. To perceive beauty you have to be able to SEE.”
“This is why I believe we get more beautiful with age,” she said. “We have earned our beauty, we understand what it is, and we can see it so much better. There is no such thing as ugly and old. Only shortsighted and ignorant.”
On Twitter, Porizkova continued to blast the user, writing, “Thank you for feeling my pain, rickaroo777. As you can see, I’m suffering indeed.”
Her fans loved it. Instead of taking it as an insult, others began to share their ‘old and ugly’ phase in life, turning the entire thread into a celebration of growing older. Her hashtag #oldandugly started trending.
“Todays thread has been my absolute favorite of all time,” Porizkova later wrote on Twitter “Thank you all you ‘old and ugly’ women (and a few men) showing the world how much we ‘suffer’ at in our old age. You’re all breathtaking!”
What an amazing inspiration to all women, no matter what age they are. It’s a great reminder that, while we will all grow older, we can find grace and beauty in ourselves, no matter what age we are.
Sources: Gone Trending | Upworthy
