You Can See My Wrinkles

Issue No. 3: Words from the Wise
Photography - BEATRICE HELMAN

Angel

“Fountain of youth…people are always complimenting me and I say you know, age is just a number. It is just a matter of how you take care of yourself and how you treat others, I’m an adamant believer about that. The way you treat others, even though you might be taking care of yourself, is eventually going to show on physique. I mean being nasty and evil to people, it comes out…”

Nina

“You can see my wrinkles.

I like to be busy all the time. I think I have a genuine fear of doing nothing, so you cant do anything in the suburbs, there’ so much stuff to do here, I love it I love taking advantage of it, I didn’t know - I can’t believe anyone could live here and not take advantage of everything that’s here. Why the hell are you in New York?

I’m not very good at talking extraneously.

Diet is a word I don’t like to use. I believe in eating super fresh food deliciously prepared. I love being in the kitchen and am very comfortable with elaborate meals for family and friends. Nearly everything is made by me. Okay full disclosure: I have a weakness for cheddar cheese pretzels bits and peppered popcorn.

A lot of people fixate on age and it becomes a mental burden that unintentionally limits them. I never worry about it. Who cares how old you are? Just pack your days with things that challenge your body and your mind, and that make you a more fulfilled person.”

Veronica

"I make my own stuff now, make my own essential oils and I don’t sell them, I just do it for me, just personal empowerment stuff. There’s a great book by Valerie Anne Wormwood, and it’s all recipes and she’s great. Actually I started getting into it because I’m going through menopause, I’m on the tail end of it but there’s really not a ton of support and that was one thing that helped me. And then I started to make skincare stuff, facial stuff just because why not. To help with hot flashes specially, and it does a lot for mood too.”

Cindy

“I walk in the park, I walk at least one or two miles every day. In the winter I make myself walk at least one mile.

I know a few people who are born to be perfect but I’m not one of them.

If you look at master makeup artists they can totally transform you. I see it, you need the drama sometimes every now and then but I don’t want to look like that every day I want to look like myself you know? A little bit of modification is fine but I don't like it like that. Some people invest a lot of money so that they look like a beauty queen but once they take off the makeup they are a totally different person.”

Pearl

“I started very early, but I just do it to commute now and I’m also a bicycle tour guide in central park, so the bike really is a part of my life.

I moved because of New York city, because of everything the crazy city, and because of the smell, because of the rats. Berlin is cool but nothing beats New York.

I’m a camel I don’t drink a lot. People are criticizing that and pointing out the danger of dehydration but I drink when I feel that I’m thirsty, I don’t even have a bottle of water with me I don’t need it, when i come home I drink coffee actually. One in the morning one strong cup with lots of milk. I have the little whisk with batters where you can get the foam, put it in the little pot with your milk and I put the whisk in after I heat the milk up and it goes zzzz and then you have foam. That's my big cup of coffee.

I’m still a dog walker for special clients. I like it because thats what I need to be healthy. It is also how you feel inside that keeps you healthy, that you have you own happiness and passion for things and keep it moving physically and you make yourself happy. You have to find your happiness somehow. I don’t want to have a dog because I’m really all over the place and i don’t want to commit and if I can help people and get paid for it why not, and the dogs they like me and I really take them out on nice hikes and they have a good time with me.”