It was thirty years ago that I first caught an glimpse of my grandfather in the mirror, and have have seen each of them from different angles a fair bit over the last decade. Neither was unsightly, but also, neither were particularly attractive men. My aging seems to be accelerating the last 3-4 years. I have always thought age had a certain respectability that is nice, and I believe I am less bothered by the reality of aging than the average man.
But the next guy who tells me you're only as young as you feel is getting it right across the mouth.
Aging has given me a new respect for the cheerful old people I have known. Awareness of diminishment in one's power to attract is certainly part of the package. It must be worse for former movie stars, but the loss of even modest pulchritude is felt; but more so, in my experience, is the sense that one has become something of a bore. I am repeatedly shocked to hear myself inflicting a boring reminiscence on an innocent bystander.
ReplyDeleteAging also brings with it some humiliations, culminating with a final (one prays not a penultimate) one. Humiliation as such may not always be bad for us--we start out without the ability to do much except cry, but that's not a bad thing.
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