Because I just crossed a Rubicon in my life (Birthday) I think a bit more about age and it’s implication.
I heard a report on NPR that defined old age.
“Young old”, “old”, “old old”.
0-15 years. = Childhood
I know some 14 yr olds will argue about it. But consider a man of 20 who asks a 14 year old to marry him. Now consider the same with a 15 or 16 yr old. It’s about puberty and transitional age. 6 year olds can play with 11 yr olds as peers.
15-25 = Youth
This is an age category that is changing. People are young longer. Of course youth of 21 in Iraq at war are thrust into adulthood with vengeance. Most youth don’t take on adulthood until 22-24 years. This is the age of blooming in every way. Educations completed. Who am I is a question being asked. Political and spiritual values centered.
25-35 = Adulthood
Coming into your own. These are the years where careers are carved out. Families formed. Taking the plunge. No longer young. Responsibility becomes serious. Your promise is all ahead of you. Peak consumption years.
35-45 = Early Middle Age
Raising Children. Doing and acquiring. Financial success is developed. Marriage struggles. You are in your promise years. You already have what you will have. Buying slows.
45-55 = Middle Age
True maturity. Now children are growing up. Some leaving home. Marriages solidify or dissolved. Financial change. Can be peak earning years. New start. Chemistry changes in your body. You buy less and upgrade more. Discover that it means less than it did. What I have doesn’t define me.
55-65 = Late Middle Age
A transitional time. Bodies change shapes. Gray hair. Mental acuity changes.
Life becomes clearer in the rear view mirror. Signs of health issues you will cope with until you die. Financial issues start looking forward. End of life becomes a reality. Marriages deepen as the body settles down. A rich time if lived well. Children become parents and grandchildren begin to develop. Your technical skills freeze right here. If you haven’t learned to program your VCR you never will. Materialism stops cold when you realize everything you buy or get from this day forward will be given away, thrown away, or sold at auction. You can’t bear to throw it but you know that someday someone will. So you stop buying. That’s why you are no longer a marketer’s key target.
Examples: George W Bush 58, Roger Daltry 58, Glen Close 58, Ted Koppel 64, Tom Brokow 64, Geraldo Rivera 61
65-75 = Young Old
Relationships become critical. Many lose a spouse in this time. Friends pass. Your own health changes. You value your days more. Difficult to make the transition from being “in charge” to something less. You develop friendships with younger people. You feel too young to be old, too old to be young. Hanging on to those things of youth are more and more important. Supplements, face lifts, Spas. Put off Travel is finally taken. Examples: Michael Gorbachev 74, Paula Prentiss 66, Kenny Rogers 69, Larry King 71, Barbara Walters 73
75-85 = Old Age
A mixed bag of living. Your children are now adult to middle age. Lots of grandchildren. You don’t remember all their names anymore. You say goodbye to friends for the last time more than say hello. I just can’t do that anymore is your mantra. Chances are you will be alone in these years. You have nothing to prove. You hope for the best and live each day as it comes. You are reminded of the trek of time. You think of it with mixed feelings. If you have health issues they have potential of being serious here. Scaling back and disposing of stuff becomes your venture. Examples: George H W Bush 80, Carl Reiner 83, Harry Belefonte 78, Ed McMahon 82, Alan Greenspan 79,
85+ = Old Old
The quality of life here depends on friends, relatives, health and spiritual dimension. You see every day as a gift. You scale back to the essential few things you need. Sleep too much. Watch too much TV. Feeling well is all. Simple things matter most. Hearing a bird, seeing a flower. They matter. Nearly every day someone you knew is gone. Death is not your enemy. Being relevant is. Your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are the genetic legacy that exists after you are gone. Examples: Walter Cronkite 88, Karl Malden 93, Gerald Ford 92,
Eternal Life
Stepping from time into eternity. That’s the best. Don’t miss it. It makes the other ages worth it all. It all makes sense, there’s a plan. You’ll understand it better by and by.
I would appreciate insight or contribution if you have anything to share on these observations. I haven’t yet lived thru the last phases of life. I am only sharing what I think I see. Help me understand. If you don’t want to do it via the comment line do it by email. gredlin@cfaith.com
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