Getting old
“What does it cost to age in a graceless age? What is the tariff of flagging? What is the tax on limitless limit and postural decline.” – Stephen Jenkinson, Come of Age: A Case for Elderhood in a Time of Trouble
Much like death, whenever the subject of ‘getting old’ is raised there’s more than a degree of mortification.
It’s an insult.
“Who, me?”
“Yes, you – like everyone who ever lived.”
Of course, you don’t need me to state the obvious: it’s writ large on every billboard, every magazine cover, every TV show. Again, it’s part of the dominant cultural narrative that abhors limits of all kind.
But I do wonder what it might mean to face into our age and live life as if we were an elder in training.
And that means getting old long before we self-annoit or it appears obvious by dint of our flagging bodies.
Will we?
Will we what?
Grow old, show up as an elder or live with the portent of the age instead of lapping up our transhumanistic future?
I doubt it.
Or at least the smart money isn’t on embracing our declining chassis but instead on resurrecting and keeping aloft our shallow youth. Weave into the mythos fashion, ‘trends’ and keeping up with the Joneses and you can look forward to apparently reversing the effect of age.
Note: I can’t help think that our lack of grown-up-ness (my word), and our inability to behave like ancestors worth claiming (age and ageing goes with the map of meaning) isn’t at least in part the reason we’re in such a mess environmentally, socially and politically.
Anyhow, it’s election day in the United Kingdom and I’m sure if you’re here you’ll be racing out the door to cast your vote. For the rest of my dear followers, pray that we don’t have to endure another moment of this government whose list of egregious ‘offences’ will only be properly understood for their deleterious effect on us all long after they’re out of government.
Blessings and much love,
Julian
Photo by Valentin BEAUVAIS on Unsplash