When You Are Old
A Response To The Great WB Yeats And All That See Getting Older As The End Of Things
Introduction
Many people see getting older as something to be frightened of and even despise. I remember when I was forty being turned down for jobs because of ageism and pushed out of social groups because of my age.
Many years ago I walked with this old guy on my morning travels. I thought he must have been about ten or fifteen years older than me, but then he told me he was born in 1967, ten years after me.
Old people are often portrayed as grey-haired, sitting in a chair by the fire often doing nothing. That is not the case for many people. In Thirsk, I saw a couple of guys riding their bikes. In their conversation, one mentioned his age, ninety-five. When coming down a one-in-five gradient from Scaleber Fosse in Settle, two guys older than me were biking up it.
When I was a kid I thought sixteen was old. Then twenty, thirty, and after that I didn't bother. My dad would not let anyone mention it when he turned fifty, he is ninety next year and doing fine.
We all believe we can live forever but also we know that is highly unlikely, but one of the ways we can create our own immortality is by making art that lasts, and mine is writing like this.
I wrote this piece on the subject as well, if you are interested in my attitude. When someone complains about getting older I tell them that I am not too keen on the alternative.
The music is "I Don't Want to Grow Up" by Tom Waits, that does sum up my attitude
When You Are Old
ππππβπ°οΈββ°πππ
I See Every Birthday As A Win
And You Know That We Get One Each Year
As For Getting Older, Count Me In
βπ°οΈβ
Moving Forward, I Know Where I've Been
The Future's Something We Shouldn't Fear
I See Every Birthday As A Win
βπ°οΈβ
Some Days I'm Good And Some Days I Sin
I Will Always Keep My Life In Gear
As For Getting Older, Count Me In
βπ°οΈβ
I'm Lucky, Got Some Amazing Friends
They're There For Me Year After Year
I See Every Birthday As A Win
βπ°οΈβ
Life's An Adventure, Gotta Jump In
Take One More Road And Never You Fear
As For Getting Older, Count Me In
βπ°οΈβ
When You Finish One Thing, Start Again
Go On Your Way, Smiling Ear To Ear
I See Every Birthday As A Win
As For Getting Older, Count Me In
ππππβπ°οΈββ°πππ
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Comments (7)
My dad's sentiments exactly. He always liked to say that the first thing he does in the morning is check the obituaries. If his name's not in it, he figures it's going to be a pretty good day. He also enjoyed saying that he didn't mind birthdays & growing older. "It beats the alternative." I would always respond, "I understand the sentiment. But as a believer I'm not sure I quite agree with it."
Yes sometimes people look wayyyyy older than they actually are and it would be a shock to me to learn their real age. Some look wayyyy younger as well. I guess it all depends on how we carry ourselves. Loved your poem!
Getting older is a blessing. Each day I get to see the grandbabies grow. I'm in too!
At 74 I'm the oldest person where I work. As I got to know the crew my age became much less of a factor. Aging is all about perception.
Well said, Mike. My mom used to say she didn't want to get older. But I reminded her there's only one other option.
The great thing about getting older is that we have way more stories to tell. I love reading yours. The poem by Yeats is a nice touch.
Love it!! I have had a few of those old-guy experiences. I was sitting there talking to this old guy and we had the same birthday and he was younger than me by a couple of years!ππ I did have to check with my daughter and my brother to see if I looked that old!π