Age

I meet people lately who are older than me and I let out a sigh of relief. I used to be the youngest person ever. Then, you know, you get older and you find yourself being the oldest person in the room a lot.

Then—you meet older people and you’re not.

Older people are cool because they were the people you looked up to when you were in elementary school. They already had a car, freedom, a guitar, maybe very interesting sandals.

They were certainly more liberal than you were because they were the final march of the Sixties. And because they were more liberal, they went on to do more things for others.

Older people have an idea of life that is different than yours. Not by much, so you recognize it, but different enough so that you have to really pay attention.

I am talking about people who are only like five years older. But it does make a difference.

Older people are usually calmer than you and their egos are worn down a little bit more than yours. Unless, of course, they are of a certain type whose ego gets wilder.

Aging is interesting. I like it. You get a bit more gnarled. Feet and things. More aches, for sure. Less hair, some teeth radically altered by drills and fillers.

Hopefully, all your major organs are working so you’ll have them for when you get really old.

I have enjoyed spending time with people who are older than me after having spent so many years usually surrounded by people who are younger than I am.

But even better, it feels best to be around people of all ages at once. When you do that (especially by water) you see how pointless it is to worry about age at all since all ages are represented at once and so existentially they are there forever and you don’t matter so much.

Age is not that important. As I get older, I feel both older and younger. However, the dentist said I grind my teeth. He asked me, “Do you have an appliance?” I said, “Yes.” And he said, “Do you wear it?” And I said, “No.” He knew the answer before I said it but he had to ask.

Let’s all get old together. Just go light on the simple carbs.