Peter Pan had it right. If growing up means no more fun and adventure, I don’t want to grow up either. I like fun and adventure – like doing new things – like challenging myself. I like doing something I never imagined myself doing. Oh yeah, sometime it’s daunting. I have a comfort zone, just like you all.

But life is about growing. Have you done anything new in the last year? Taken a new job? Signed up for a new course? Tried a new diet? Taken up a new sport? Befriended someone new?

Growing older isn’t always fun. There are aches and pains. Younger people come along and exclude you from the tennis court, the nail shop conversation, the bestseller list (oh yeah, it’s true, but for another blog). Your boss suggests you wear your hair differently or dress differently, all to look younger and more hip.

Blueprints talks about this issue. Caroline hosts a reality home construction show, but loses this job in favor of her daughter, solely because the producers want to attract a younger audience. Isn’t this what’s happening in real life? Think of the evening news. As Caroline’s ex-father-in-law, who is 80 and all male, says with a chuckle, “Personally, I like seeing those little blondes reading the news in their cocktail dresses.”

Personally, I don’t. But that’s because I prefer more seasoned reporters who have earned their spot at the anchor desk. I trust them in part because I feel they’re mature. And because they don’t look like clones but like women with brains of their own.

Of course, I also loved Brian Williams. And look where that got me.

Age is an issue in Blueprints. It’s an issue for Jamie, who is 29 and is told by her fiancé that she’s too old not to be able to commit to marriage, and it’s an issue for Caroline, who is 56 and, after struggling to find herself, is told she has to change.

Too young or too old – do you have age issues?

One of my favorite lines from Blueprints (aside from the “little blondes” one above) comes from Caroline at a pivotal point in the book. “It was the moment when she realized that the important part of growing older was the growing part, and that resisting change meant forever standing still.”

Do you agree? Disagree? Or, is there another line from Blueprints that resonates with you?