What on earth does "act your age" mean anyway? What behaviour exactly is suitable for someone of sixty? Or seventy? Or eighty? Should we wear clothes that hide every square inch of flesh? Should we never say anything rude or controversial? Should we avoid contentious subjects like sex, drugs, religion or politics? Should we avoid doing anything that might be seen as childish or immature?
You could tie yourself in knots trying to act the way people expect an oldie to act - whatever that may be. Who gives a damn? The way I see it, we oldies have spent decades being bossed around by employers, bureaucrats, relatives and big companies, and in our final years we should be able to behave however we like and ignore any age-based remarks.
Perhaps "act your age" should mean act like someone who's old enough to have seen plenty of life, who's well-informed, experienced, worldly-wise and confident enough to expose young people's naivety and wishful thinking. That would be a definition worth pursuing.
By the time you reach the point when you're thinking more in terms of how many years you have left than of how many years you've lived, it really shouldn't matter any more what somebody else thinks is "age-appropriate behavior". If playing with model trains or watching goofy TV shows is what brings the most happiness, why not spend your time doing that? It's certainly better than spending your time worrying about other people's approval.
ReplyDeleteInfidel: It shouldn't matter a damn, but in some people's eyes there is still a "correct" way of behaving once you're over a certain age.
DeleteI like your definition, Nick! I think when many of us reach a certain age (50+), we stop caring what other people think.
ReplyDeleteBijoux: Yes, that definition makes a lot more sense, doesn't it?
DeleteI have spent most of my adult life being who I am. I am not a pleaser, nor am I rude. I just am. I've been fortunate in all the young people I've had around me as I hit middle age till now. My good friend is 47. I've known her for 20 years. She sees me as just me. An I see her the same way. Anyway, my mind age is maybe 27!
ReplyDelete