Greyness?

[Cindy C.]

David wrote:

>I don't know whether to be horrified, saddened or frightened.

Be horrified.

>Somebody reassure me that you are not discriminated against in the
>workplace in the USA just because you don't pour all your money into
>every passing fad.

I don't know about "every passing fad," but there is quite a lot of 
age discrimination in the U.S.  It is absolutely rampant and 
difficult to combat, as I understand it.  People assume that if you 
are 40 (or at least look over 40) that you are set in your ways.  
That you can't work for someone younger.  Blah, blah, blah.

I had a conversation with a plastic surgeon a few months back (no, I 
am not getting breast implants), and he said that many of his 
patients want a face lift because people keep asking them if they 
are tired.  They start to worry that they'll be seen as old in their 
workplace, among other things.

Susan wrote:

> Sadly, not only can I not tell you such a lie but tell you that my
> handsome, steel-gray-haired husband, aged 49, has not worked
> full time in about 4 years despite his keeping up with all the 
>latest advances in computer graphics.  

That sounds just awful, Susan.  It's very unsettling and stressful 
to be unable to get the job you want and need because of someone's 
perception about something like your age that you can't change if 
you wanted to.  It's frustrating, because your husband could 
probably outperform many of the whippersnappers who are getting the 
jobs.

Hang in there!

Cindy -- who has similar concerns about returning to the job market 
at 40+