A List of things I like

I've been talking on and off for a while about doing a post of Things I Like That People Think I Shouldn't Because I'm a Woman in My 40s, but that's far too long for a blog post title.

Cleverer people than me could articulate a dozen reasons for this, but from my personal experience as a Watcher of Many Things (TV, movies) is that in these mediums, women in their 40s tend to be two things: wives and mothers. And that's it. That's all.

Their husbands are the ones who get the hobbies and the storylines while they stay home and be exasperated and cook dinner and make sure the kids do their homework.

These women seem to have no inner lives of their own: no struggles; no hobbies; no interests that don't pertain to their families. You could shake them and they'd sound like a piece of laminated paper.

As a Woman In My 40s, let me assure you, that this is bollocks. Here's the thing. I'm going to tell you a secret. Lean in a bit. Not that far, mate, steady on.

Women.

Are.

People.

Mindblowing, right? You know what that means? That means we like stuff! And just because we hit a certain age - I'm talking 40s here because that's what I'm in - doesn't mean we automatically stop liking stuff, and turn the robot switch on.

So, in no particular order, here are some things I like that people might side-eye me for. (Side-eye me all you like. Also, stick it up your jumper.)

1) Pop music. I love pop music. Completely unironically and joyfully. I don't just mean the pop music that was popular when I was a teeny eeny teenybopper, either (though, that too). I will happily watch MTV Music and the top 20 countdowns. My fave popster at the moment is Troye Sivan. Here's his Vevo channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/TroyesivanMusicVEVO One of my fave pop songs lately is Can't Feel My Face by The Weeknd -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEI4qSrkPAs I'm not even sure why, I just deeply, deeply dig it.

2) Video games. I'm a late bloomer to video games, as most people know but I have embraced the insanity wholly. Right now, by "video games" I mean Dragon Age because it fills my very specific criteria for playing: a storyline. And the gameplay isn't impossible. I mean, I play on PC because I'm hopeless with consoles, BUT. STILL. But also, I'm VERY EXCITED about a new game coming out later this year - No Man's Sky. I mean. Just look at this trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmwG6Sj1Yfg How great does that look???? Exploring galaxies, terraforming worlds .... I cannot WAIT.

3) Superhero movies. I am resigned, mostly, to the fact that I'm outside of that all-important age demographic, the 18-30s. Also, I'm not a  dude, so that's against me as well. But. I love a good superhero movie. A great superhero movie? I'M IN AND I WILL BUY TOYS. Ahem. I mean. I get excited when I see a new Captain America trailer (though Civil War is going to be traumatic for everyone) or when I realise that hey, maybe Batman vs Superman won't suck! Who knows??????  You don't want to be sitting beside me in a movie theatre if there's a trailer that I'm excited for because I will Kermit-flail in my seat. It took me a long, long time to unleash my inner fangirl on the world at large, but now that she's out there, there's no holding her back. Nor would I want to. It's so much more fun to get excited about stuff that I love than being apologetic because I'm too old, or not a dude, or whatever.

What else can I think of? Tumblr, YA novels, fan-fiction. All of these things contribute to the person that I am. Yes, I'm in my 40s - I'll be 45 in June - and yes, I'm a wife and a mother. But. I'm also a lover of music, an overexcitable fangirl, a nascent gamer, and so much more.