Now for the very latest in grannies-breaking-social-barriers narratives:
Allow us to introduce 55-year-old Sharon Simmons, grandmother of two and hot on the trail of pursuing her dream job as a Cowboys cheerleader.
Simmons, who's from the Dallas suburb of Carrollton, has been working out with a former member of the squad to prepare for the May tryouts, and, in terms of delivering the goods, she doesn't lack confidence.
"On stage, I blend right in with women in their 20s, 30s and up," Simmons recently told KTVT-TV, adding there is "absolutely no difference" between her body and the 19-year-old cheerleaders with whom she'll compete.
Simmons isn't some drowsy-afternoons-on-the-porch type, prattling on about the Prohibition era and 10-cent gas. She's a national fitness competitor and author planning to give Brett Favre's Father Time act a serious run for the money.
"I thought, that's something I never tried," Simmons said. "I always wanted to try out. I got real close in my early 20s, but got busy raising my daughter. And I thought, why not now?"
Who has the most to lose from this development? Laura Vikmanis, a 42-year-old Cincinnati Ben-Gal who's currently the NFL's oldest cheerleader. Now just another pretty face.
