Sunday, April 13, 2008

Perspective


Last weekend when my husband turned 41 he said, "I'm old." Well, of course, that irritated me a a little because if he's old, then I'm old plus 6. Age really is a matter of perspective. I remember thinking 19-year-olds were old when I was 6. And when I was 19, I thought 30 was old. And when I was .... okay, I think you get the gist. The thing is, I've decided to never say I am old because I know it will just irritate someone who is older than me. There will always be people who are older than me just like there will always be people who are younger than me. That's always true except the day you are born (no one younger) and until the day you die if you are one of those record-holding oldest people that live to 116 or whatever they are living to these days.
~
I will always seem young to my mother and I will always seem old to my daughter, that's just perspective. And that's okay because that makes sense. But if my husband thinks he is old, then he must think I am old (plus 6).

16 comments:

Carole said...

I know! The whole age perspective always hits me as funny. My 77 year old mother talks about the "old" people at her retirement home who are 96 and 102. Meanwhile my daughter laments that she is getting so old as her 29th birthday approaches next month, even as she tells me that I'm still "young Mom" and you can wear this or do that! I am the little sister of two older brothers, so I'll always have them to tease as birthdays approach, while my childhood friend is 6 months younger than me and I get the "old" birthday cards from her. I remind her that I'm older and wiser! haha I still feel "young" at 48 though. The only thing is I do notice that the years seem to pass much faster now, and looking back over time I realize that 48 years goes by pretty quick in the big scheme of things. One of my favorite Albert Einstein quotes is "When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes. When you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it seems like two hours...that's relativity."

Scarlet said...

When my great aunt was 82, she used to say, "Oh, if I could only be a kid again and be 60." I used to ask her, "Why 60 and not 20?" She'd say she's not greedy and that she was very happy at 60. It's all about perspective.

geewits said...

Carole,
~~That's funny that your daughter is complaining about getting old, but I guess we thought that at 29, too.

Scarlet,
~~Your great aunt sounds like a fun person!

Jo said...

Geewits, it's true, isn't it? It really is just a number. I work with a doctor who is 80 years old, and in many ways he is younger than the fellows in their 40s. And he has a wicked sense of humor.

There is an advertisement directed at the baby boomers who used to say "never trust anyone over 30", and now they're saying "never trust anyone over 90".

It's all relative.

Ian Lidster said...

Ah, you'e both just infants. Anyway, it's all in the state of mind. I recall when I was 13 some friend of my uncle's (whom I'd never met before) said, upon being introduced: "So, what are you, about 11?" I'd never been so insulted in my life. Still sticks in my mind and I still think he's an asshole for daring to subtract 2 years from my age.

Big Brother said...

Age is relative but I must admit that when I'm at school and some of my colleagues are younger than my kids... I feel my age... but as my mother used to say you're only as old as your heart.

geewits said...

Josie,
~~It is just a number. I know several people who are younger than I am that seem quite a bit older. Or maybe they are just more mature? :)

Ian,
~~That's so funny that at 13, you were profoundly insulted to be thought younger!

Big Brother,
~~I think I felt that way the first time I saw a policeman that was younger than me. It was just odd. And Playboy bunnies. When I was little (I had an older brother) I always thought those Playboy centerfolds were grown women!

Your mother was wise.

Russell said...

I agree with you on the age issue. I am 53, but I always have to stop and think when someone asks me how old I am - I can never remember.

Here's something REALLY funny and you won't believe it - but it IS true. I was at the grocery store a couple days ago and had a 6 pack of beer I was buying. The clerk - who must have been all of 15 and on her first day of work - asked to see my ID!!! I was stunned. I said "Whaaat?!" She looked very serious and said "I need to see you identification if you want to buy that beer."

The people behind me were all sort of laughing, but I pulled out my license and told her I had been born in 1954 - I am sure long before her parents! She still looked at it and did whatever they do.

As I left I suddenly realized - to that extremely young person, all people over 21 look the same!! Oh well...

geewits said...

Russell,
~~Although it's been a while, it's always fun to get carded. I'm the same with forgetting my age. What happens is, because my birthday is in April, after January I start saying I am the age I am going to be, so when my actual birthday happens, I think I am a year older than that. It's very goofy.

Leslie: said...

When we're young, we want to be older, but now we want to be younger. I just try to put one foot in front of the other each day and hope I make it to bedtime. Some days I feel 150 and others spry and 25. It's always a shock, though, when I look in the mirror and see my mother smiling back at me. lol

geewits said...

Leslie,
~~Oh how I wish I could look in the mirror and see my mother! She was still a great beauty at this age, tall and thin with long legs. I'm just a stumpy old thing, but with a happy glint in my eye!

OldLady Of The Hills said...

It certainly is all is Perspective...! These days, I feel "old"....I didn't use to...But then, I wasn't sickly and decrepid then.....Now....Well, I know there are people older than me and some of them say to me---"Oh You are just a baby...."!...To Them! LOL! Coming on 77 in two months and two weeks....THAT feels old to me these day, physically that is....I feel young at heart, most of the time...It isn't really fair, you know.

Your 'guesses' are good ones, but they are incorrect.....(lol)

Tai said...

I never think about it! I'm always the age I am and I don't consider that it's old or young. Isn't that funny.
(Mind you, I sure like to be carded.)

Dave said...

Now that you have gone and depressed the H#!! outta me... I just had my birthday the other day... Sheesh!! ;-)

geewits said...

Naomi,
~~I guess health problems relating to age are really the one thing that make aging unpleasant.

Tai,
~~I don't think about it a lot. I guess the osteoarthritis, along with my upcoming birthday made me think about it.

Dave,
~~Oh hush! You can't be depressed about your age. You're probably younger than me!

Cycling Goddess said...

geewits ~ I heard somewhere that 50 is the new 40... I'm like "whatever" :) it's only a number. Sure it takes me a little longer to recuperate and I think twice about going to bed late in the week but I feel great. I think it comes from when you're young and you think anyone over 50 is ANCIENT! Then when you suddenly reach that number you say meh! nothing to it!

It's really how you feel about yourself that matters and from what I can see, you're going to be a young one at heart for a long, long time!