ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, September 1, 1996 TAG: 9608300006
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 7 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C.
SOURCE: ANGELA SHANNON KNIGHT-RIDDER/TRIBUNE
Recently, a colleague brought me a calendar. ``Fabulously 50 Plus,'' it's called. It's filled with beautiful women who are either 50 and older or will turn 50 this year.
I'm not talking about taut-butt, wrinkle-free beauty - although many of the models qualify in that category too. I'm talking about the beauty of self-assurance and inner peace.
These women are radiant, energetic.
Loretta Lassiter, a 68-year-old retired banker and avid golfer, poses in boxing gloves. Wide-eyed and eager. Lips pursed as if she'd whistle while knocking you out. Beside her picture are these words:
``A philosophy of life? I never thought about it. I just live life, try to keep it fun and never take more than I give.''
Each of the 12 black-and-white pictures includes inspirational thoughts about the importance of nurturing spirit and stretching the limits of body and mind.
The woman behind it all, writer Allegra Bennett of Baltimore, turns 50 in October. The calendar idea came to her in January. But it was the unexpected breakup of her 23-year marriage two years ago that started her thinking about issues facing aging women.
``I had been finding that when things got real bad and I would blame outside forces, I would feel powerless,'' she said. ``When I looked inwardly, I felt more in control. So I decided to experiment with always turning the issue back to me and what I might have done to contribute. It made my work life and my home life so much better. It gave me a lot of bravado about myself.''
She started working out about a year ago; first general aerobics, then boxing aerobics.
``I noticed a lot of women in the gym who looked terrific,'' she said. ``And, to my surprise, a lot of them were over 50.''
The notion of a calendar celebrating the physical and spiritual strength of women older than 50 was born. Bennett recruited her models, and used all African-American women - makeup artist, designer and photographer - to produce the calendar.
The ultimate - and unexpected - contribution came from Bennett herself.
One 50-plus woman had planned to do a headstand for the calendar, but her husband died a few days before the photo shoot. Bennett decided to tackle the headstand. Working with a yoga instructor, she learned to position her weight and get over her fear of falling.
``That headstand was something I had never thought to do for myself,'' she said. ``We have a lot of strength within ourselves that we haven't tapped.''
It's an especially significant message this year as the first wave of baby boomers hits 50.
The message is that 50 isn't terminal, and beauty isn't measured only in terms of genes and youth.
The calendar sells for $14.95 plus $3.50 for postage and handling. To order, write to The Renovating Woman, Fabulously 50+ Calendar, P.O. Box 23881, Baltimore, Md. 21203-5881.
LENGTH: Medium: 62 linesby CNB