Age is not just a number

There's something that's been on my mind lately. It gave me pause one day when I looked on a social media page to find everything geared towards ages 18-25--artwork, photography, music, and literature (and they were especially lauded if done by individuals within that age group or under). It dawned on me that while this is a familiar pattern...it feels more prevalent now. What I have noticed is it seems like the obsession to stay relevant or youthful is a constant that grew exponentially. Let's face it. There's a barrage of streaming media and advertisements in virtually every industry strictly aimed at the youth. Age is a "nothing but a number" or so the saying goes. It may be difficult to see it that way when there is a always a need to stay young or get rid of anything that may give away a person's age. Even I admit to doing that. Are we really that afraid to grow older? I often wonder if we are all in secret competition to have accomplishments finished by age-imposed deadlines, yet we labor under the pretense that that isn't the reason.

We may be "racing" to get things done because of these illusory deadlines. The age decade of the thirties is where all changes become noticeable. It's as if efforts and accomplishments in this category are somehow less impressive than that of someone younger, say the teens and twenties. But it takes equal effort and talent for great achievements no matter what, unless someone is truly a prodigy. Even then, prodigies work for it too. Age should be nothing but a number. But it doesn't seem to be, does it? New music, new artists, new tech, new this...NEW itself--implies young. New talents may be discovered later in life--and for those who care about the talents regardless of recognition, that's great. But it is hard to stay invisible too or be sidelined for someone younger. And sometimes in order to keep up, we try desperately to cling to our youth. While it can be gratifying for some, it starts to get...dare I say it...old and difficult. I find myself increasingly less invested in what I once enjoyed. I seem to be in the minority in this regard compared to some of my peers. Maybe I am changing again. As a result, I tend to be more isolated. But that isolation is reflective and passionate--the focus on my rediscovered and newly discovered interests and talents are mine alone to give my undivided attention. And that time is precious.

Being a child born in the 80s, it often feels like my world has slipped away from consciousness. I'm sure a lot of people experience this as things inevitably change around us. But we are also bombarded by media and subliminal messages on a day-to-day basis, and never more so since the advent of social media. Don't get me wrong. I'm not going to sit here and tell anyone that social media is bad. I use social media myself and appreciate what it offers for networking and creative endeavor purposes. However, I also feel it can be extremely disheartening. It sometimes gives us a false sense of expectations. It continues to heavily reward and applaud the young. And of course, we absolutely should--but it feels like there is a higher percentage of it compared to those older. Moreover, the youth are already being inundated with messages to help them stay young--as if they have a choice in biologically aging! Why does age play such a critical role in our lives? And as we get older, why does it feel like we are hearing those messages repeated as doomsday announcements as if we've lost something as age claims us?

Why can't we be fruitful and relevant as a member of society in terms of who we are versus how much we've managed to accomplish at a younger age? Not all of us were afforded opportunities. Not all of us were well growing up, mentally or physically. Everyone is different. Why can't we accept that? It seems like we can only celebrate individualism as long as no one is too unique. If you're too unique, two things can happen. You get ostracized or martyred. I realize I'm generalizing and simplifying this at the risk of sounding cynical by saying that. But I'm not cynical. It's just been my experience. So I speak from that perspective. I hope that isn't the case for anyone else. And believe it or not, I remain an optimist. I think it's nice to be a part of society with like-minded individuals who share my values and interests, but it's not been my experience to be a part of groups successfully. I often stood out like a sore thumb. But I digress. My point is that while aging can be a challenging process, (and of course we all want to stay young!) I believe we should celebrate ourselves even more, the older we get! Because this is the truth. We cannot hold on to the past any more than we can predict the future. We agonize over the future--we plan for it, but if we are always planning, we are not present. And time passes us by in a flash when we do that.

Age is not just a number. No, it's more than a number. Age is a part of life. It's a number--it's a level, and yes, it can even be our very own super power! Wisdom does not have a shelf life or age or time limit. And I certainly hope that I will continue to wise up in life. While I may pull away for reflection, I don't hide in isolation. I simply take time off for myself. I think we all need 'me' time. We all need to appreciate ourselves, love ourselves, and be focused on the here and now. Age is not just a number. It's so much more than that. And things are always changing. Such is life.