Does This Make Me Look Old?

Sim wanted to talk about biological clocks this week - is it female centric thing? Do only women have this? Do all women feel it ticking and what do they do about it? Sim once wanted a huge family, and is now unsure. Shiv likes children but they were never really part of her roadmap.  And to make sure they try and understand different perspectives - they brought in Tas, a 43 year old sassy mom of 2 and a healthcare professional who juggles the duties of motherhood with the responsibilities of her job.  Together, the trio touch on the different aspects of this biolgiocal clock - how did it influence their life decisions? Did age have a role to play in their decision to either have/not have children? How did it impact their career progression? And along the way, there is mention of climate change, being scared of birth and how society dictates that people talk/feel about having children.     

If you are one of the lucky ones who has known how to manage your finances since a young age, Sim and Shiv would love to hear from you. The two of them were not the most financially savvy growing up.   Both Sim and Shiv fell victim to emotional spending habits in their 20s - jewellery for the fashionable Shiv, and notebooks for the geeky Sim. They recognize it's a proxy for something else - but not being psychiatrists themselves, they are loathe to fully analyze what that proxy could be. Other mistakes - being too risk averse, not knowing how (or willing to) negotiate for raises and of course, getting into credit card debt.  Over time, they've gotten better (relatively speaking), but a chance to do over would see both of them making slightly better choices in life. And by slightly, they mean "a lot"! :) 

When you haven't seen your parents in over 18 months because of a global pandemic, you become brave enough to deal with airport crowds, wearing a mask in a tight space and trying your best to stay as socially distant as possible in a fully packed plane to Winnipeg (seriously Air Canada! Why was it so full!?).  At least, that's what Shiv discovered recently, as she made her way home.  Her trip can definitely be described as nostalgic, as she describers her conversations with her parents, particularly her mom. Shiv chats about her childhood - the time she spent in Libya and Ghana - before moving to Canada, and has some surprising new stories about that time. These stories make Shiv realize that how much her parents' intrepid adventures across the globe has shaped her to become the person she is today. She learned a thing or two during this trip, and the most important lesson she takes away from it all, is that we really should listen to our parents as much as we can ! :) 

Shiv and Sim discuss plastic surgery this week as Shiv goes down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos examining whether or not celebrities have had it in their pursuit of endless beauty and youth. They talk about different procedures (did you know that you can inject Botox to your jaw muscles to redefine your jawline?), differences between plastic surgical techniques between men and women, and whether or not they would ever use non-surgical or surgical techniques to change the appearance of their face or as part of an anti-aging regimen. 

It's been half a year, folks! Shiv and Sim take a look back at the last 26 weeks and chat about why they started this podcast, and where they hope to take it. As they review their previous topics, they discuss how this experience - something that started as a way to share their random thoughts with each other - has started to shape and crystallize their own viewpoints about aging. From the economics of aging, to the psychology and the science behind it, Shiv and Sim want to expand this channel to become more than an avenue to work through their anxieties. Of course, it'll still be a home for their neurotic experiences - but it's their hope that this podcast will be a platform for advocacy work and a safe space to discuss both the trials and tribulations of aging issues, without judgment. And how they hope to work with established organizations such as AARP and CanAge in the future so they can learn about and promote initiatives that work against ageism in our society.   

We're back with part 2 of our special episode where our guests Jason, Craig and Liam share the male perspective on aging. They don't seem to worry about their gray hairs (though we did hear them mention gray beards!) as they share the physical issues that do keep them up at night! It appears that these modern men are quite comfortable with the aging process as Sim and Shiv too (ahem! *cough* we don't believe it! :)) The men also chat about what they're most looking forward to as they get older, especially Craig who has a crystal clear vision of how his senior years will play out. It involves lots of walks, sleeping in and travel. We can get on board with that! 

Sim and Shiv decided they needed to hear if men think about aging too! So they reached out to Jason, Craig and Liam - three male experts (hahah!) - to chat about their perspectives on getting older. It was fascinating to see the differences and similarities with our own concerns.There was so much to unpack and process that we decided we need to have them over twice!  This week, we ask them questions such as: What worries them about getting older? What keeps them up at night? Do they have such a thing as a biological clock? And what would they do over if they could?   Join us this week for part 1 of Men Age Too! 

Sim has a bit of a crisis this week as an old friend of hers tells her that Sim has changed significantly since her 20s, something with which Sim vehemently disagrees! Sim still feels like her hippy, new-age self, even though she has nicely transitioned into the corporate world. But, as Shiv points out, the number of scented candles one buys, does not a hippy make, especially when one doesn't even check their own horoscope anymore! They discuss ways in which their personalities have changed over time, and ways in which they've noticed their loved ones' personalities shift with age. Will Sim learn to love the ways in which she has changed? Tune in this week to find out!

Shiv and Sim talk about regrets that older adults have had as determined through Cornell's Legacy Project, a project in which over 1000 older adults were interviewed for their "practical advice for living", and to "share the most important lessons they have learned over the course of their lives". They discuss one of the main insights from the project and whether or not they agree. Join us this week and let us know what your regrets are. We'd love to explore further!

Shiv and Sim discuss a couple of articles on human longevity and how diet can reduce mortality. They also briefly discuss the pandemic's effect on their work-life balance and Shiv learns about casual ageism through another podcast she listens to.

So the 'Friends' reunion happened and it brought up a LOT of feelings from Sim which were…not shared by Shiv. Is it possible that someone could have an issue with Friends? Yes, (to Sim's horror), it is. Join Sim and Shiv as they take a nostalgic trip down TV memory lane, one in which Shiv possibly ruins many of the shows that Sim has a soft spot for. Spoiler alert! Besides Friends and the Friends reunion show, we discuss Seinfeld, How I Met Your Mother, Game of Thrones, Lost, The Leftovers, Watchmen, Happy Endings, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation, and The Good Place (which is also a show on which Shiv has a very spirited discussion).

Welcome to a very special episode this week where we have a blast talking to Sean and Alecia, a married couple with 14 years age difference between them! They tell us what it’s like being in a relationship with a wider than average age gap. Is it hard? Is it fun? What did their friends and family think? How do they make it work?   They give us a glimpse into how they met, and their initial thoughts on the differences in their ages, and they discuss how their relationship has been going, and share some relationship advice with us. We also talk about how they’ve been successfully navigating societal expectations and stereotypes. Love really does make things easy!   Along the way, we chat about Korean dramas, age preferences on dating apps, and whether one's choice of e-mail provider helps define one's age bracket. Obviously :)

Is nostalgia a part of aging? Does it serve a purpose beyond reminiscing? Shiv and Sim discuss the phenomenon of looking back at the good old days, whether or not it's limited to people of a certain age, and whether it provides some sort of social function. They touch on Dr. Krystine Batcho's research on nostalgia, including the existence of different types of nostalgia. (Who knew that nostalgia could come in different flavours?!?). Join us as we chat about the elusive feeling of nostalgia and its impact in our lives on this week's episode of 'Does This Make Me Look Old?'.

Shiv and Sim take a look at 'Another Round (Druk)', Thomas Vinterberg's latest production, which recently won an Oscar for Best International Feature Film. They discuss whether the existential crises depicted in the movie are specific to midlife, or whether they can happen at any time. They also talk through the curious plot of the movie and whether there is a cultural disconnect preventing them from totally understanding it. They also discuss whether this movie is translatable to North American audiences if Leonardo DiCaprio manages to remake it. Also, is a constant blood alcohol level of 0.05% conducive to a better life? Find out on this week's episode of 'Does This Make Me Look Old?'.

Shiv and Sim discuss fellow Canadian Carrie-Anne Moss and her recent revelation that she went from being a leading lady in action movies like the Matrix trilogy to being offered roles as a grandmother as soon as she turned 40. All we have to say is: what? (Well, actually we have more to say than that, so listen to the episode). We also discuss marketing targeted to the "mature woman". What does that even mean?????