At the end of a long, joyous, productive, meaningful life, what will people see when they look into your face?  WRINKLES!   And they won’t be thinking, “That face shows a joyous, productive, meaningful life” either.  They’ll be thinking, “Boy is that woman OLD!”  Well, I’d like to change all that and I’m asking for your help.

It’s important to use your communication skills to change the world around you for the better.  Why start with wrinkles?  Well, I’ve written articles about grace in politics and faith before, but it struck me that I never did start at the beginning.  In order to start a movement for world grace, I think it needs to begin with something more universal and easier to discuss.  If you think of it in colloquial movie terms, this article is a prequel.

Every one of us, if we are blessed, will live to see the day when our face has an abundance of creases and lines.  There will come a day when even the fresh-faced, four-year-old will be weathered.  I’d like to start at the beginning with something we can probably all agree on and feel confident enough to pass along.  I say wrinkles are desirable (dare I say fashionable) and I’m going to prove it.

The Case for Wrinkles

1. Wrinkles are better than the alternative!

Yes, given the alternative to growing old, wrinkles come in on top!  Death is a very distant second!  Once you realize how much worse you could have it, wrinkles don’t seem so bad.

2. Wrinkles are soft.

Yes, the more wrinkled your face is, the softer it gets.  My 11 y/o son loves to touch my 48 year old face and always comments, “It’s so soft!”

3. Wrinkles are knowledge.

The more wrinkles you have, the more knowledge you MUST have accumulated, even if by sheer luck!  You just know things younger people don’t.  You’ve lived through stuff.

4. Wrinkles are earned.

Wrinkles are not some honorary badge.  They are earned!  Not just anyone can have these babies!  Laugh lines mean you must have laughed.  A joyous life, even if fraught with struggles, is a prize, indeed.  Wrinkles mean you’ve endured, you’ve persevered.  Wrinkles mean you have really lived.

5. Wrinkles show you have character.

Wrinkles are character lines and mean you aren’t just any old body, you’re a character!  Wrinkles make you cute, cuddly, adorable, wise, and worthy of honor!

6. Wrinkles are wisdom!

If you have acquired wrinkles, you MUST have also acquired some amount of wisdom.  At the very least you remember history like it was yesterday.  You remember what life was like before iPods and can regale the younger generation with quaint stories of what kids did before Playstation 3.  If you’ve really been paying attention or have garnered an education, you can teach people stuff-stuff they might really need to know!

7. Wrinkles give you license to be silly again.

Let’s face it.  When you see a 4 year old being silly, you think, “How cute!”   When you see a 40 year old being silly, you think, “What an idiot.”  When you see a wrinkled old guy being silly, you think, “How cute!”

8. Wrinkles are your ticket to free help.

If a 29 y/o woman is having a hard time with her lawn mower, you’d rather not take a minute to help her get it started because, hey, you’re busy and her husband will get around to helping her…eventually.  If you see an 80 year old woman struggling to get her Christmas lights up, you’ll take three hours of your day to string them for her!

9. Wrinkles mean you don’t get any more pimples!

One of the great perks of getting wrinkles is that your face no longer breaks out!  You don’t need to worry about those embarrassing blemishes due to oily skin when your face has dried up and turned raisin!

10. Wrinkles allow you more time to have fun.

Once you realize you’re no Farrah Fawcett (I know I’m dating myself) anymore, you can stop worrying about your looks and focus on the fun of life.  Not having to worry about your makeup, the latest hair styles, and your Jordache Jeans (now I’m REALLY dating myself) means you can wear what’s comfortable and have more time to enjoy life unimpeded by the bonds of high fashion!

You and I may not agree on politics, religion or even what to watch on TV, but I’ll bet we can forge one bond today and agree to declare to the rest of the world that wrinkles are desirable.  If you agree, forward this blog link to everyone you know, wrinkled and non-wrinkled.  You don’t need to send it to 25 friends in the next five minutes, but if you do, you will have contributed 25 new giggles to the world!  You will also have contributed to the beginning of the Wrinkle Movement.  Together we CAN rid the world of the stigma of wrinkles so that our children will grow up in a wrinkle friendly environment!  Who’s with me?

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JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication.  Her Christian and humorous approach to communication skills has made her a sought after speaker.  JoJo’s articles have appeared in various homeschool magazines and websites such as Dr. Laura.com.  Her Say What You Mean curricula is endorsed by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and her eBook, Say What You Mean When You’re in Business, has been used by direct sales leaders and small business owners alike.  For more information, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com

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