Loved to read about Rashunda's older Black women role models! Also loved "I’ve finally matured enough to realize that no one cares if I embrace my calling or not." Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. When I thought about pursuing a Yoga teacher training in my mid 40s I had doubts like: Should a serious journalist with a Ph.D. in economics become a Yoga teacher? WHY NOT? Everybody knows that I love Yoga! What's wrong with being a Yoga teacher? And it turned out, many people told me what a great project this is, especially the people that I care about.
Yes! The thing about being surrounded by older women who were totally fabulous growing up and so not realizing that getting old was supposed to be a bad thing until you actually got older. As she notes, this is particularly prevalent in the Black community. But I grew up in D.C., where all my teachers and crossing guards and principals were gorgeous, stylish, older Black women and all I wanted to do was be like them. We all need older women to claim their own vibrancy because it changes the experience for younger women. Whatever the culture may say they *know* getting older is beautiful.
Rashunda Trimble is my twin! I’m her mixed race half Euro-American half Indigenous-American twin, but her twin nonetheless. She articulated what I’ve been trying to explain to people around me about Indigenous culture and age: we don’t obsess on aging or an age we revere elders and keep growing. We don’t think of age as a “Should I wear jeans after 50?” kind of thing. My Euro-American mom was negative about aging despite living in good health to 94. My Indigenous dad was ever positive about life, the new, and people. Age wasn’t a factor. I take after my dad. I also wear black, white, navy, and gray, and ignore the people who tell me to add a color because I do not want to add a color. Thank you Rashunda. You are an inspiration.
I enjoyed Rashunda's interview. Such a beautiful young lady. She is refreshingly open and honest. I'm approaching a quarter of a century and have similar feelings and experiences. Funny how that works. I'm loving my life and the freedom to be me. I look forward to reading about and hearing from her when she reaches my age.
Heck yes. I guess "three quarters of" fell off the page. Who knew growing older would feel so good. I'll be seventy-five on February 14. How great is that?
yeah I know— screaming how beautiful and fabulous and relevant we still are, as if people need to be reminded is superfluous to those who know it already and a waste of time for those who don’t (or who deny it) — let our work and bearing and actions show it.
This one was published in those sad, sad days before I had discovered Oldster! Great interview, fantastic photos (oh that gorgeous HAIR!!), and such great answers. I too am a Tarot reader and writer, and I too attempted to keep them separate for many years, because who the heck was going to take a Tarot reader seriously? Not that I was a terribly serious person, but, you know. I didn't want to be dismissed completely.
Turned out that some art projects combining Tarot with art and Burning Man, taking me public in my Tarot work, was accepted. The folks who thought of me as flaky and woo-woo had probably thought that all along anyway. No one stopped publishing my words or turned down my grant applications because I'd come out as a Tarot witch. It's really heartening to read this interview and hear Tramble's experience. Sounds so familiar.
What is not familiar: having well dressed and coiffed older women to look up to, particularly. I used to live next to a church in Oakland where the middle aged and older ladies went all out on Sundays -- hair, jewelry, incredible hats, dresses -- I was very young, but still thought, "Oh! How come my people don't have this? Can I dress like this when I'm ancient?" (Ancient meaning, like, forty.)
The good thing about casual West Coast often-white-people culture is that you can wear whatever you want, even to church and to most of the better foodie-oriented restaurants around Oregon, Cali, Seattle, wherever. The bad thing is, you're not getting the examples Tramble writes of here. Older women to look up to, who enjoy expressing looks and personality and clothes... with spirit and fun and a wink, not with annual facelifts and fillers and insisting, "80 is the new 30!" (Southern California, I'm lookin' at you). It must've been very inspiring to have that example.
Loved to read about Rashunda's older Black women role models! Also loved "I’ve finally matured enough to realize that no one cares if I embrace my calling or not." Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. When I thought about pursuing a Yoga teacher training in my mid 40s I had doubts like: Should a serious journalist with a Ph.D. in economics become a Yoga teacher? WHY NOT? Everybody knows that I love Yoga! What's wrong with being a Yoga teacher? And it turned out, many people told me what a great project this is, especially the people that I care about.
Hi Annette. Thanks so much for your comment! And yay for following your path!:-)
Yes! The thing about being surrounded by older women who were totally fabulous growing up and so not realizing that getting old was supposed to be a bad thing until you actually got older. As she notes, this is particularly prevalent in the Black community. But I grew up in D.C., where all my teachers and crossing guards and principals were gorgeous, stylish, older Black women and all I wanted to do was be like them. We all need older women to claim their own vibrancy because it changes the experience for younger women. Whatever the culture may say they *know* getting older is beautiful.
Thanks Asha!:-)
Rashunda Trimble is my twin! I’m her mixed race half Euro-American half Indigenous-American twin, but her twin nonetheless. She articulated what I’ve been trying to explain to people around me about Indigenous culture and age: we don’t obsess on aging or an age we revere elders and keep growing. We don’t think of age as a “Should I wear jeans after 50?” kind of thing. My Euro-American mom was negative about aging despite living in good health to 94. My Indigenous dad was ever positive about life, the new, and people. Age wasn’t a factor. I take after my dad. I also wear black, white, navy, and gray, and ignore the people who tell me to add a color because I do not want to add a color. Thank you Rashunda. You are an inspiration.
I love this. Didn't know about the Indigenous perspective. It's inspiring.
Hi twin!:-) Thanks for sharing your experience. I didn't know this either about Indigenous culture. It's a great view to have!
I enjoyed Rashunda's interview. Such a beautiful young lady. She is refreshingly open and honest. I'm approaching a quarter of a century and have similar feelings and experiences. Funny how that works. I'm loving my life and the freedom to be me. I look forward to reading about and hearing from her when she reaches my age.
Do you mean you're approaching three quarters of a century?
Heck yes. I guess "three quarters of" fell off the page. Who knew growing older would feel so good. I'll be seventy-five on February 14. How great is that?
Awesome!
Thank you so very much Marie! And we share the same astro sign! I'm an Aquarius.:-)
yeah I know— screaming how beautiful and fabulous and relevant we still are, as if people need to be reminded is superfluous to those who know it already and a waste of time for those who don’t (or who deny it) — let our work and bearing and actions show it.
Hear, hear!:-)
Great interview. Rashunda has a fun attitude and I love her interests.
Thank you so much Patti!
This one was published in those sad, sad days before I had discovered Oldster! Great interview, fantastic photos (oh that gorgeous HAIR!!), and such great answers. I too am a Tarot reader and writer, and I too attempted to keep them separate for many years, because who the heck was going to take a Tarot reader seriously? Not that I was a terribly serious person, but, you know. I didn't want to be dismissed completely.
Turned out that some art projects combining Tarot with art and Burning Man, taking me public in my Tarot work, was accepted. The folks who thought of me as flaky and woo-woo had probably thought that all along anyway. No one stopped publishing my words or turned down my grant applications because I'd come out as a Tarot witch. It's really heartening to read this interview and hear Tramble's experience. Sounds so familiar.
What is not familiar: having well dressed and coiffed older women to look up to, particularly. I used to live next to a church in Oakland where the middle aged and older ladies went all out on Sundays -- hair, jewelry, incredible hats, dresses -- I was very young, but still thought, "Oh! How come my people don't have this? Can I dress like this when I'm ancient?" (Ancient meaning, like, forty.)
The good thing about casual West Coast often-white-people culture is that you can wear whatever you want, even to church and to most of the better foodie-oriented restaurants around Oregon, Cali, Seattle, wherever. The bad thing is, you're not getting the examples Tramble writes of here. Older women to look up to, who enjoy expressing looks and personality and clothes... with spirit and fun and a wink, not with annual facelifts and fillers and insisting, "80 is the new 30!" (Southern California, I'm lookin' at you). It must've been very inspiring to have that example.
Glad you enjoyed this, and relate, Tiffany!
LOVE ♥️ thanks for sharing with us Rashunda and keep on rocking black :))
Wow! What a great gal! She has embraced every moment of her life, accomplished a lot, and is filled with gratitude. She is truly an inspiration.