Interview

JTP: You’ve been posting new, recent photos of yourself on social media. Why?

Trudy: The photos that have always been on my website are from a few years ago. But I believe in the clarity of being proud of who I am now. A lot of celebrities are doing that now; they’re going without makeup, they don’t mind their gray hair. I think it’s wonderful, especially for women to go with that and try to make the best of it, and it’s so much more freeing.

JTP: You previously kept up with trying to stay younger; what is that experience like for women?

Trudy: The years of trying to keep up with Botox and years of having blonde hair instead of gray. It encouraged me to try to look younger, stay younger, and feel younger. But now it’s very rewarding when you look in the mirror, and you see a different version of yourself, a better version.

JTP: It seems a lot of change has occurred within you in recent years.

Trudy: I’ve been on a pilgrimage for the last few years. I started it not really knowing and understanding myself. And I decided I needed to make some changes. So, I went through the different stages of it and it came back to me. And the pilgrimage I experienced brought me back to where I started. I was trying to pitch myself for a number of years; I was trying to sell myself to audiences that, I had done this or I had done that. Then all of a sudden it occurred to me that part of this journey was that I don’t have to do this anymore. I have had success. I’ve led a very privileged life. But I’ve had struggles just like anyone.

But talking about this and feeling real, I hope that I might be effective in helping other women. I try to start being more comfortable without all the accoutrements.

JTP: It sounds a lot like you are embracing the aging process. Is that how you would explain it?

Trudy: Not exactly. I call it going into the gray zone. It’s not exactly embracing it, yet it’s not exactly settling for it. I think it’s just deciding that it’s not anything. I don’t want to have the chemicals on my hair anymore. I don’t like the time involved in all of that. I’m not exactly going gray, but I’m heading into a gray zone. That’s part of my pilgrimage is to go somewhere I haven’t been metaphorically.

JTP: What was the result of this pilgrimage?

Trudy: I found myself, I’ve learned about myself and my vulnerabilities. And many of the bad experiences happened because I trusted despicable people who took advantage of me. But all the experiences I’ve had have led me to a better, less gray zone.

JTP: There are women today who feel they are getting old because they are in their twenties and going into their thirties. What message do you want to send them?

Trudy: I want to tell them that at every interval, you mature in some way. That was my experience. I felt differently when I was 25 than I did at 20 years old. At each stage, you’ll be happy because you’ll always be thinking I have years to go, places to go, and people to see.

JTP: When you discovered the beauty in the aging process, was it an immediate epiphany-like experience or a slow and steady process?

Trudy: It was not quick; it was slow. I started out thinking I’m going to experience whatever is to come. Whether it was moving to a different place temporarily or changing social activities- whatever comes I was ready for it and it was a sense of freedom that I’ve never felt as an adult.

End of interview

Trudy’s underlying message is that it’s okay to age. By doing so gracefully, you will find a better version of yourself, one who is happy to be who you are.

Her pilgrimage to find herself has brought her full circle. Now she is a much more confident and happier person.

And Trudy wants you to know that you can be a happier version of yourself at any point in life because if she can do it, so can you.