I’ve wanted to articulate my thoughts about age for a while, and today, feeling in a particularly pissy mood, seems to be the time. Let no one accuse me of not knowing time and place XD.
A pet peeve of mine is people who lie about their age. Wanting to not divulge your age is fine – that’s your prerogative however to deliberately obfuscate for god knows what reason (well I guess I know the reason..shame. It’s often shame) rattles my cage. I think less of you and I think you’re an ungrateful twat. Harsh? Maybe…But after having been suddenly hospitalized and having to face my immediate mortality I’ve been made extremely grateful for every day I tick off on my calendar. I’ve always toyed and ruminated on my mortality but the screeching prospect of it is something the abstract can’t ever really prepare you for. Since this realization I have been guilty of taking days for granted, sure, but I’ve never been anything less than proud of being one of the survivors of every single hour as the world turns.
I think age is a badge. You’ve avoided numerous life-ending traps today; you’ve added to your stock-pile of thoughts and experiences (hopefully XD). You ought to be proud. Of course the seductive-ness of youth is constantly being hammered into us, and the visible signs of aging make us nostalgic for that period when it was ‘better’. There’s nothing like the numerous aches, pains and sudden ailments that come with aging, to make you long to be young again, but barring a time machine, why deny the present and not embrace it? Be the best version of you right now.
My other related pet peeve is people using age as an excuse to check out from current events. How many times have I heard ‘oh I’m too old for that <insert technology>/music/event’. Yes, tastes evolve and yes, you don’t have to be ‘into’ popular culture, but you don’t get to use age as an excuse for laziness, your busy life or lack of interest.
I was brought up in a culture where we’re taught that your elders always know best. I found out early on this wasn’t true, but I realised we’ll (hopefully) one day all be elders ourselves, so there’s no reason to think the elderly are particularly ‘icky’ or to indiscriminately disrespect them. Ageism has all forms, and the young aren’t exempt. Youths are thought of as naive, inexperienced, not worth listening to, and basically the reason the world is going to wrack and ruin. I confess I shared *some* of the negative perceptions of today’s young people especially in my early 20s, however I’ve recently been interacting with young people on the internet (mostly via MFC), and there is tremendous hope. Some of these girls are way more together and insightful than I ever was at their age. And I’m not saying that because they’re obviously possessed of great taste by being on MFC XD. Through the same medium of the internet I’ve also whittled away at any ‘uncool older’ stereotype I may have had.
So yes, stop telling everyone you’re 21 for the tenth year in a row! And try to take care of yourself – physically and mentally. It’s a possibility that our raison d’etre might simply be to learn more everyday. Don’t waste it. Plus what better compliment is there than stating your actual age and having someone say ‘but you look so much younger!’ 😀
A Blog About 3 things.... 