A Quick Look at Old Age

Hey Der,

Big Q here.  Roger Daltrey says that Keith Moon would not have wanted to be an old man. That got me to thinking about the word "old".  It just might be relative.

Growing up, 21 seemed old, until you got to 21.  It's a good thing that 21 is the drinking age, because when you imagined yourself at 30, you needed a drink.  Then at 30 you bought a bottle whenever you imagined 40.  I don't know if you start shooting heroin when you turned 50, I'm not there yet.

I remember thinking that my grandparents are old.  The thing is, they were, and they always will be.  I have two grandparents still living, one is 89, the other is 93.  Yep, now that is old.  But when I thought they were old, for the first time, they were about the same age as I am right now.  Did they think they were old 40 years ago, or did they think themselves as grand?

Sure, I have friends who have kids that are "adults", but none have been tagged with the handle "grand" as of yet.  I don't feel old.  Sometime I feel a little slow, but not old.  Sure, I have two pill boxes.  One for home, one for work.  But that doesn't make me old, just sickly.

My cousins kid, who I guess is my second cousin, just turned 17 yesterday.  I haven't seen her since she was 5.  Pretty sure, to her, I'm old.  But, if I had a gun to my head and had to chose 17, or 46, I'd choose 46.  I wouldn't wish 17 again on my worst enemy.  But then, if I could have 17 with the knowledge of 46 I might be tempted.  But of course, at 17, I'd be too stupid to take the memories of a 46 year old.

So "old age" really is relative.  People who are older than you when you're born will always be old, to you, but not to themselves.  Unless you hit 100, then, facts are facts, you're old.