If you are a North American person around forty, what differences have you noticed between yourself and your work colleagues/friends/family in their mid-fifties? Bonus points for female perspectives. Comments from the fifty-something side also welcome, although I'm particularly seeking views from the younger side of the equation. Looking for everything from dress to attitudes to use of language, technology, etc..
I'm working on a piece of fiction and my main character is a Canadian woman who is "pushing forty," while I'm in my mid-fifties. Lately I've read a few novels where it's been pretty obvious that the writer is remembering themselves at a younger age, without investigating how much things have changed. For example, one otherwise decent mystery novel had the MC taking taxis rather than ride-sharing, using paper maps rather than GPS, etc.. I'm hoping to avoid things like that in my story, and maybe even sprinkle in a couple of details that might help "ground" the age of the character. Please share what you've noticed, from small differences to bigger ones. |