A conundrum
How can we tell who are the old and who are the young?
Who the living and who are the dead?
We measure age first by hours, then by days, and eventually by years.
Few of us have a vivid memory of that first birthday
when language was touch, sound, taste, and smell.
Too soon perhaps, we learned a language of words to which we assigned dates and times.
With each date and time come expectations and measurements.
It is true, of course, that with the passage of years the human brain does change.
It may become more efficient and directive until about age 26.
It may not!
At some later date, it may become a bit more selective in what it stores in the memory bank and in what and how quickly it retrieves information.
Are we talking about age or AGE?
How do we know if someone is old?
Sam, at 20, lives in his tiny world where the gates carefully control what is allowed in or out.
In his life one day becomes two which becomes three which becomes a lifetime.
He patiently awaits the end.
He was 80 when he was 18. Will time just passed him by?
We decide retirement age, social security, job eligibility and much else based on a number arbitrarily chosen.
We even decide what emotional or sexual behavior is appropriate.
How do we determine old?
It seems that just about the time we become wise enough
to know what is important we assign a new label.
What if a 25-year-old is wise and a 60-year-old not so wise?
What if the numbers are a poor judge?
What if the number of new and creative thoughts determined one’s age?
What if we use that measuring stick to determine which politicians, bureaucrats and teachers to retire?
Who, indeed, is wise enough to be old or is it old enough to be wise or …?
Ahh! A conundrum?
Written August 9, 2018
How can we tell who are the old and who are the young?
Who the living and who are the dead?
We measure age first by hours, then by days, and eventually by years.
Few of us have a vivid memory of that first birthday
when language was touch, sound, taste, and smell.
Too soon perhaps, we learned a language of words to which we assigned dates and times.
With each date and time come expectations and measurements.
It is true, of course, that with the passage of years the human brain does change.
It may become more efficient and directive until about age 26.
It may not!
At some later date, it may become a bit more selective in what it stores in the memory bank and in what and how quickly it retrieves information.
Are we talking about age or AGE?
How do we know if someone is old?
Sam, at 20, lives in his tiny world where the gates carefully control what is allowed in or out.
In his life one day becomes two which becomes three which becomes a lifetime.
He patiently awaits the end.
He was 80 when he was 18. Will time just passed him by?
We decide retirement age, social security, job eligibility and much else based on a number arbitrarily chosen.
We even decide what emotional or sexual behavior is appropriate.
How do we determine old?
It seems that just about the time we become wise enough
to know what is important we assign a new label.
What if a 25-year-old is wise and a 60-year-old not so wise?
What if the numbers are a poor judge?
What if the number of new and creative thoughts determined one’s age?
What if we use that measuring stick to determine which politicians, bureaucrats and teachers to retire?
Who, indeed, is wise enough to be old or is it old enough to be wise or …?
Ahh! A conundrum?
Written August 9, 2018
RSS Feed