I have a very busy day ahead, so I am taking the lazy way out. A couple of months ago, I answered a question on Quora, that has gotten a fair amount of positive attention. It relates to aging. So now people ask me all sorts of questions on Quora, all related to being old. It’s a little depressing, at the YOUTHFUL age of 48, to be considered old. I read this quote in Mister Roger’s book, The World According to Mr. Rogers. I liked this take on aging:
“All life events are formative. All contribute to what we become, year by year, as we go on growing. As my friend the poet Kenneth Koch once said, ‘You aren’t the age you are. You are all the ages you have ever been!’ “
Please forgive my redundancy if you have already read this answer on Quora. Here it is:
What screams “I’m getting older”?
When I was younger, I swore to myself that I would never be one of those “old fogies” who made cracks about the strangeness and ridiculousness of the younger generations. I have always prided myself on being open minded and I want to remain that way.
Still, as I age, I have found myself having to bite my tongue, more and more, on situations, attitudes, and proclivities of the younger generations. I have to remind myself more and more that the older generations felt the very same way about me and my generation, and I think my generation is just dandy. I guess it is that arrogant, condescending demeanor that I think can sometimes be a dead giveaway that screams, “I’m getting older.” It also screams of fear of change and a need for control.
That being said, trying to be part of the younger generations, just to prove that you are still “with it” and “hip” (those words probably age me right now, I know), like for instance, getting a bunch of tattoos, not because you want the tattoos, but you want people to think you are young at heart, also screams “I’m getting older”. These rash actions also scream, “And I’m Desperate to Stop Getting Older!”
The people who I like best, no matter what their age, are those people who are very comfortable in their own skin. They don’t need everyone to agree with their choices, and their likes and dislikes. They have a “live and let live attitude” and they wear their attitude with a lot of zest. These people age best, in my opinion.