It can be so discouraging to deal with the rigors of aging in front of a predominantly young workforce. Especially when everyone talks negatively about women over forty as being on the shelf, and if unmarried, childless and middle-aged, that sends a message that you’ve failed.
It is a challenge to keep the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause under wraps and pretend you’re feeling just peachy. And how about the unpredictable mood swings and depression that come out of left field and just damage your relationships? Getting old in the workplace can be a real drag for women in an age where youth is celebrated and experience is underappreciated.
To the naive, younger group, your worth is less, and if the younger demographic is in charge, then all bets are off for promotions of your forty or fifty something self. You don’t have as many years to contribute to the company as they do, so why invest in you? You are not the face of the future. No one cares about your opinion, except to criticize it.
Such is the nature of my experience in the workplace. What a hard road for women. There ought to be a law.
