Forgive me (and point me in the right direction) if I missed a recent post about this). I’m wondering how many other women here have noticed this.

I turn 59 next month and am now painfully aware of the brutal experience of being a woman of this age. The invisibility. I feel myself becoming meek and mild (NOT the me I know!). In public I’ve been actually watching men, teenagers, and younger women NOT seeing me.

My brain has been randomly sputtering out to me in my head the sentiments I suspect others (even my younger self) have thought all along about the aging woman; five minutes ago I was pondering what I felt about a controversial topic mentioned here, and my brain piped up disapprovingly, “Nobody cares what you think, you’re old!” Literal statements that I’ve never consciously thought in my life! And they’re all about how the best years of my life are long gone and I have no value anymore. WTF??

I talk weekly with my spiritual mentor, a minister and woman 86 years old (who works that like a boss!). I had tons of great aunts, uncles, and relatives growing up. I treasured them. This disdain for mature adults was never my experience.

Anyone else here experiencing this or similar phenomena?

Edit: I’m referring only to the intrusive “new” thoughts.