Anonymous wrote:I'm confused, I thought women of a "certain age" were older women....???
Anyway, we live in a misogynistic culture and women internalize this misogyny and therefore treat other women with contempt. With almost as much contempt as they treat themselves.
You're not confused, the OP is.
I hit 50 and realized I don't have enough time left to waste any of it worrying about whether other people are doing what I think they ought to. Other people (my mother excepted) tend to extend the came courtesy to me.