Old

So what is old? If I'm going to talk about aging we need to come to an understanding, an agreement on terms.

Traditionally, adulthood begins a 18, middle-age at 30 and old age at 60. By those standards, at 62, I'm old.

But is it that simple? I know middle-age octogenarians, 50 year old adolescents and old 30 somethings; so there must be more to this than the common categories provide.

I think there are many factors at work here: your past, your genes, your health, your attitude, your finances, etc. A hard life of poverty can make one old early. Pessimism and depression can as well. Chronic illness will wear you out too.

I often hear, “you're only as old as you feel.” Nonsense. Too many variables in the word feel.

I think the answer is totally personal. We all age and we all die. When is irrelevant. A Zen drill sergeant once told me, “you don't get older than dead.” I saw 19 year olds die; they were old.

Old for all of us is the same thing. As Chief Justice Potter Stewert said when referring to pornography: “I can't define it, but I know it when I see it.” Substitute old for pornography and it remains true: you'll know it when you become it.

Me, I'm just a pup at 62. You?

Mike