I'm not sure whether to categorize this question as rhetorical or one that I actually want an answer to. I've heard all the sayings: "You're only as old as you feel", "Growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional", "We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing", etc., etc... I am the first to admit that for a 40-year old (I know some of you are gasping because I still act like I'm 17) I should be more "mature" (another term that requires some definition for me) but when did I start "aging", and more to the point, when did I start to really notice it? I mean, I'm old school from the days of no remote control for television and even before Al Gore was the only one with access to the internet.
I suppose we could all ask ourselves this to one degree or another. Some of the people I went to High School with have kids graduating High School now, others have kids in Jr. High and the upper grades of elementary school. The low percentages are those that are grandparents now and those that have kids not quite in Kindergarten yet (I fall into the latter). It feels like I missed the starting gun and am at least a lap behind. The good news is that it'll be a long time until anybody calls me grandpa. The bad news is that my children will have to change my diapers one too many times before they've had enough and throw my wrinkly bag of "dad" into a wheelchair and roll me to the old folks home. Orange jello on Tuesdays...yay!
But I digress. There is nothing we can do about aging or death. We can stop aging by dying early but that doesn't defeat my argument. Everything we do on this planet is nothing more than delaying the inevitable. A perfect illustration is Jack LaLanne. He made it to 96 after working out for 80 years. There are those that have lived longer but those people had some freaky DNA.
I try to stay young at heart by trooping. Most of my facebook friends know what this means but for those that don't, the nutshell version is that I dress up in Star Wars costumes and entertain the young and/or young-at-heart. Trooping is my Xanax, my Prozac...pretty much my happy pill across the board. Any of you that think I'm a geek for doing so, well...that's pretty tame compared to other things I've been called while growing up (which I still debate that I'm actually doing). I made my peace with my turbo-nerdery a long time ago and I've found it's just easier to embrace it. I also say don't knock it 'till you try it because unless you're a cold-hearted bast....*ahem*....Let's just say I guarantee you'd be surprised. My only concern is that my children will get the brunt of put-downs because of my pastime. I'm hyper-sensitive to that as I was the target of many a bully growing up.
Dang, I digressed again (although it gives me an idea for my next post)....back on track. To those that look at old people and go "eww" let me say a few things. I don't know when it will happen but it WILL happen. Here's a list of things I've noticed about me that I either fear will happen, or have already happened. Not all of these will apply to you but I'd be surprised if you don't relate to one or two of them.
You will find your optometrist telling you that your next prescription could very well be bifocals (this happened to me yesterday).
You will wake up one day and decide that you'd rather have something healthy (maybe Raisin Bran or something) for breakfast than something sugary and extremely un-healthy (maybe Lucky Charms).
You will notice you don't move as fast in the mornings and have a harder time bending over to tie your shoes.
Men will either notice grey in their hair (beard, moustache, chin slinky, soul patch, etc...) or they'll have less hair to notice grey in. Women will notice varicose veins and really start paying attention to ads for anti-aging creams.
You will look at other people and be envious of their jobs. I'm to be involved in a job training program put on by Deseret Industries. The local vernacular is D.I. and I believe there's a certain stigma that only slow learners and old people work there. I suppose I could fall into both of those categories.
You will find yourself deciding to stay in because going out becomes too much of a hassle (I hope this never happens to me).
You will pay more attention to health problems in your family and start looking for signs in yourself for fear that it might be hereditary.
I reserve the right to add to this list as I discover more.
You will all get old...unless you die first.
-LG
This isn't precisely on-topic, but that's probably to be expected. =) I wanted to talk about the idea of maturity because it comes up a lot for me, too.
ReplyDeleteI think we're in a transitional phase regarding the definition of "maturity," largely instigated by our generation. Whereas acceptable "grown up man" pastimes used to be limited to bowling, poker night and body painting your beer gut with team colors to attend a Sunday NFL game, we have broadened that to include playing video and board games, "trooping" and other forms of geekery. There is still some resistance to these being acceptable activities for adults, particularly from older generations and those for whom sports occupies the majority of their brainspace, but I say that's their problem and they're just fighting against inevitable progress.
Oops, have to go to a meeting. Darn it. I'll post the rest of my comment this evening or tomorrow.
Adam! I love this post! You have put into words how I have felt soooo many times lately. I need to find me something super geeky to do I guess, cuz I really am feeling old! I always thought when I started to get wrinkles, at least I wouldn't have zits anymore. Ha! Joke's on me! Love ya!
ReplyDelete(I wrote an obnoxiously long comment here and it disappeared when I hit Post, so I'll try to scale it down a lot and see if Blogger likes it better.)
ReplyDeleteThe pastimes that are accepted by the mainstream today as acceptable for "mature adults" were also new once and probably also dismissed by older generations and the more conservative people of the time. TV replaced radio, which had already replaced who-knows-what. Moving pictures replaced vaudeville. Every generation develops new diversions based on their own technological advancements, and those things (as with music) are typically rejected at first as being in some way inferior to the things the complacent majority are comfortable and familiar with.
By our alignment with the group of people who are more comfortable with change and progress (usually the younger element of ANY society), we open ourselves to potential criticism by non-forward thinkers that we are still young-thinking, hence immature by their definition. Really, it is just their lagging behind the natural flow of things that causes this rift.
I ask this question about the mainstream idea of "mature pastimes": What's the difference in "maturity" between...
...joining buddies for a role-playing game vs. fantasy football?
...me reading a book about Han and Leia's relationship vs. a seedy romance novel?
...you trooping as a soldier from one of the highest grossing films ever vs. another man doing costumed war reenactment?
...playing a video game where you have to coordinate your attack with other players vs. sitting on a couch, drinking beer and living vicariously through the athletic accomplishments of others?
Enough examples. I'm sure each of us could come up with a bunch more, but I just want to knock some people's heads together and say WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
Also, pastimes develop from what the people of the day are interested in and have access to. Since more and more people have technology-based jobs and access to technology in the home, it only makes sense that our diversions will become increasingly technology driven. It has nothing to do with "maturity," actually, but that is sort of the way the battle seems to have been set up right now. We will be victorious. =)
(Yes, this is still shorter than the other one.)
As for varicose veins, etc.--NO COMMENT.
Just so you know, I appreciate all the comments even if I don't always respond to them.
ReplyDeleteMari, you should seriously come check us out sometime. www.alpinegarrison.com will have a calendar link to upcoming events. Depending on the schedule I may or may not be there but we're a friendly bunch. At the very least you could sign up on the boards and become as semi-involved as you're able. Let me know, I'd love to see you at an event sometime.
Crystal, I appreciate the support. I love hearing your well thought-out comments. Someday I hope to meet you.