Working Girls

I had a delicious massage yesterday (Lynne is NZ trained, has been in the area for 5 years or so, and comes to the house -  sets up her table and blankets in the twin bedroom .... BLISS) and so I sat with my mug of warm water watching mindless television while the oil sank in and the doziness carried on.

“Eastenders” was on, and as with most soaps, it takes about a minute and then one is mostly up to date. Dot was in a terrible mess.  The whole half hour episode was based on her breakdown. Since she joined the soap in 1985 this cigarette smoking devout Christian gossipy hypochondriac has inadvertently married a con man/bigamist; has had an abortion; Nick, her son, is a criminal, involved in drugs, robberies, and murder and tries to cheat Dot out of her money. He attempted to poison her in order to inherit her bingo winnings, but was unsuccessful. He has AIDS. Dot is a cancer survivor and has helped her best friend die. She has always worked in the local launderette and currently she’s just recovered from a wrist injury; her husband has been bedridden for years with a stroke, and she feels that she has betrayed him because she allowed another man to hold her hand.   Enough for anyone, right?

So, what’s it all about with Dot? 

Dot is played by June Brown.  June Brown was born in January 1936.  She’s 75 years old.  Dot’s breakdown was amazing, a real feat of acting.  It must have been exhausting. I didn’t know whether blow my nose in my wet hanky and sympathize with Dot’s terrible misfortunes, or to stand up and cheer June Brown’s acting. I hope that she gets some sort of an award for the performance.

Dot and June (she got her MBE in 2007):

This got me thinking about other, currently working, actresses ‘d’un certain âge.’ 

Betty White, who surely everyone in NA knows and loves, was born in 1922:

And Jeanne Cooper (Mrs. Catherine Chancellor on “The Young and the Restless”) was born in 1928. Truth be told, I have a soft spot for Mrs. C as she reminds me of mother (even though Mrs C is teetotal now):

Yes, yes, I must include Joan Collins because she is wonderful and amazing and is still very much a working girl.  She was born in 1933:

My all time favourite is Shirley MacLean, born in 1934.  I know that if she knew me we would be BFs:

WOW!


All these women (yes, there are more; this is just a musing) are still very much at the top of their game.  They are sincere, up beat, attractively quirky and most certainly ‘seize the day.’ Their professional and personal experiences are e n d l e s s. Talk about growing old gracefully, and with a twinkle in the eye.  Great role models that’s for sure.  I applaud and love you all.