Who says I can no longer Party in my 30’s?

I had a friend tell me this past weekend that when she turns 40 she’s done going to parties. I told her she can sit at home by herself because my 40 year old fabulous ass will be dropping it like it like it’s hot for as long as I can. I recently celebrated my 34th birthday and YES, I STILL DO CLUBS. Although, it’s usually for functions of people I know or specific parties behind held at club venues or the classic bachelorette shindig. This past Memorial Day Weekend, I partied until I was ill. First hitting up Revive Brunch and having the time of my life and maybe one too many sangria’s. I then awoke the next day headache free (thanks to taking an Alleve before passing out) feeling like a hundred bucks and did it again at The Everyday People x Okay Africa Everyday Afrique Rooftop Party in Brooklyn. Ladies and Gentleman I danced until the two baby toes on my left foot were numb. They still are in fact. Don’t worry this has happened a few times and I’m ok with it. I consider it the cost of having a damned good time. The last time my toes were this numb was a New Years Eve Party where I dance my then Dominican boyfriend under the table.

[one_half padding=”0 15px 0 0″]Age is most definitely a state of mind. I see people succumb to it everyday. If you go around saying you’re old and closely following all the societal norms imposed on you regarding age then consequently you will FEEL OLD. It will be inevitable that you’ll feel out of place at parties and not just at parties but in life. Have you noticed that when a man’s hairline starts to recede or he starts greying or balding within a year he’s married? It all goes back to feeling like it’s time to be an adult, it’s time to grow up because well, you’re one year closer to death and who wants to die alone? It’s the same for women. If I had a dollar for every time someone (a man or woman) asked me if I am married or if I have children this year alone I’d be rich.[/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0 0 15px”]Or at least I’d be able to buy a pair of Louboutins. As a physical therapist, I’ve spent a great deal of time working with the elderly. For a whole year I worked with nothing but people whose age range was between 80-105. I’d visit them in their homes and help them with walking, or balance or how to bathe on their own or help them recover from a hospital stay or surgery. The number one thing I learned from working with the elderly is to never take my youth for granted. When did 30 become old? *Sighs in: maybe that’s old to you but when you hang out with 100 year olds 30 is practically a newborn baby* Oldness is a perception and it’s different for everyone. Old to you is young to someone else.[/one_half_last]

Photography by Rose Lazard (Check out her Photo Pop Up in NYC June 2nd) || Editing by Monroe Steele

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There was a lovely couple; the wife in her late 90s and the husband was a cool 101. They’d been married for as long as I’ve lived (twice). And their favorite thing to do was to dance. So we made Salsa dancing a part of their therapy. For 30 minutes we all danced until we laughed. The centenarian was the first man to teach me how to salsa. And Beloved’s he was NOT shy about sashaying me around his living room until I blushed. People get so caught up in the numbers. The numbers don’t mean shit and you’re cheating yourself out of a life of happiness, laughter and fulfillment if you decide at 30 years old that you’re too old to enjoy the things that made you feel giddy and alive in your 20s or even in your teens. I get it, the older you get the more responsibilities with bills and children and marriage and well… life. But that doesn’t mean you have to conform and melt away into a shell of your former self. Also people have preferences too, if the club or partying isn’t your thing, it isn’t your thing but don’t frown at your friends for wanting to have a good time. That doesn’t make them any less responsible or less anything really. When I stopped giving energy to where society thought I should be as a woman in my 30’s I subsequently stopped caring about age at all. I also stopped caring what people thought about me and it’s made my life better than I ever thought it could be. Your mind and your thoughts have a lot of power. Water it wisely. As long as I can dance, which is something I love to do, you can find me on the nearest dance floor.

xx

Monroe

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