On Aging

Doesn't it feel like no matter where you are in life, the world is geared towards you? We live in a constant bubble that captures everything that is pertinent to our age group. And it's not just the marketing tricks of the internet, which target browsers based on age, gender, and location. It's a much more deep-seated phenomenon--an unconscious decision we all make so that we feel like we matter. We have a footing here. Philosophers have pinned this unconscious move for years--how we see what we want to see and hear what we want to hear; our entire belief system is mirrored and controls what we allow ourselves to see in the world at large. I find comfort in this. Comfort in knowing that as we go through life we will always feel at home here. It makes the inevitability of aging easier to embrace. Our culture is not always kind to older generations--stereotypes about their driving, their Floridian takeovers, their slowness, their frequent talk about all their ailments come to mind, as does the term "set in their ways". With this kind of judgment, I always wondered if they felt as if they didn't have a good footing and a respected voice in our society. I hate to think that anyone feels irrelevant. But this revelation I had recently puts that wonder to bed--no matter our age we are surrounded by peers. At every stage we all face the same kinds of things as our peers and because we are always trying to make sense of the world and what we are doing here, because we see what we want to see, I reckon we always find a place--a way to feel at home. And I'm sure that at every stage we look and stereotype those who are not among our peer group. I wonder what is said of 30 year olds, of which I belong. Perhaps this--slow down and relax a bit, before you know it the kids will be grown. You'll see that in time the things that cause stress are fleeting. For every age group I say this--embrace where you are.