Donna Brazile's 5 Great Things About Getting Older
Our columnist points out the perks of a few extra years.
Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty
Respect
When I started going gray relatively young, everyone from business associates to restaurant servers started taking me more seriously. That's one reason I was never tempted to dye my hair. The other is that dyes are expensive, time-consuming, and temporary—and who needs all those chemicals?
A Refined Palate
I don't even want to tell you what I ate for the first 50 years of my life, but I will tell you that I titled my memoir Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics. At 51 I'm finally enjoying the taste of healthy food, like sautéed shrimp over a spinach salad. My body feels better than it has in years. It's like I'm aging backward!
My Own House
I lived out of a suitcase for most of my 20s and 30s as I crisscrossed the country working with up-and-coming political candidates. I still travel like a salesperson sometimes, but I have neighbors now, and they water my garden.
Finally Learning to Delegate
Once upon a time, I tried to do everything, even if that meant staying late at the office to tidy things up myself. Now I trust my staff and associates to manage the smaller tasks, which leaves me time to watch bad sci-fi movies. I'm a sucker for human-alien half-breeds that can consume greasy food and not gain weight.
Real Friends
The older I get, the older my friends get. It's nice to take life's journey with people I've known for decades. Let's just say it's mutually assured destruction if anyone starts blabbing.
More From Donna Brazile
When I started going gray relatively young, everyone from business associates to restaurant servers started taking me more seriously. That's one reason I was never tempted to dye my hair. The other is that dyes are expensive, time-consuming, and temporary—and who needs all those chemicals?
A Refined Palate
I don't even want to tell you what I ate for the first 50 years of my life, but I will tell you that I titled my memoir Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics. At 51 I'm finally enjoying the taste of healthy food, like sautéed shrimp over a spinach salad. My body feels better than it has in years. It's like I'm aging backward!
My Own House
I lived out of a suitcase for most of my 20s and 30s as I crisscrossed the country working with up-and-coming political candidates. I still travel like a salesperson sometimes, but I have neighbors now, and they water my garden.
Finally Learning to Delegate
Once upon a time, I tried to do everything, even if that meant staying late at the office to tidy things up myself. Now I trust my staff and associates to manage the smaller tasks, which leaves me time to watch bad sci-fi movies. I'm a sucker for human-alien half-breeds that can consume greasy food and not gain weight.
Real Friends
The older I get, the older my friends get. It's nice to take life's journey with people I've known for decades. Let's just say it's mutually assured destruction if anyone starts blabbing.
More From Donna Brazile
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