My mother turned 80 this year and, as octogenarians often do, she’s been having some health issues recently. Life has been sucking for her more than it’s been awesome recently. I always suspected that getting old sucked but the last few years helping my mother deal with various issues has confirmed that suspicion.
As I think about it, that insight was about the only bit of wisdom I actually had as a young man. I had a discussion with mom not long ago about just this subject.
“Mom,” I said, “it looks like getting old really does suck.”
She didn’t agree but neither did she disagree.
“There are some benefits,” she offered.
“Like what?”
“Wisdom,” she said. “You get wisdom.”
“Yeah, but you need wisdom at the beginning of your life, not the end.”
“That’s true…but you can impart your wisdom to people younger than you.”
“But young people don’t listen to it…they don’t understand. So it’s a waste.”
We both fell silent in agreement.
What amusing irony! It takes you a lifetime to accumulate the very thing that would make living your life that much easier and enjoyable.
I’ll leave you with The Who. Found at YouTube from polydorclassics.