In recent days I have had a couple of discussions about “getting old” \u2013 and more specifically about a slight feeling of disbelief about how old we actually are. Is “oldness” a state of mind \u2013 quite separate from “age” which is clearly a measure of time?<\/p>\n
When I was young there was a group of folks I knew who were up to (I guess) about fifteen years older than I was \u2013 everyone older than that was part of the “old people” category \u2013 which is actually quite laughable looking back. I realise that I had a very strange perception of what constituted “old”. Many of the “old” people from then I still don\u2019t know their actual age \u2013 but I guess they were probably those who were contemporaries of my parents and anyone older than that.<\/p>\n
So \u2013 do our perceptions of what is “old” equate to how old our parents are when we are born \u2013 those who have children at a relatively early age will bring up offspring who think that just about everyone is old!! What is surprising now is that those “old” people are still around fifty or more years later \u2013 they must be really ancient now!!!!<\/p>\n
On the other hand \u2013 do those who are born to “older” parents perceive the world to be full of \u2018younger\u2019 people?<\/p>\n
The word “perceive” is important here as what I think I am talking about is most definitely driven by perception. The “old” people from my youth were in reality at “best” (or is it “worst” \u2013 I\u2019m not sure) middle aged \u2013 these were people who were (I suspect) in their twenties when I was born \u2013 but \u2013 because they belong to a different generation they immediately attracted the “old” tag.<\/p>\n
I think that I was much more aware of a “generation” when I was younger \u2013 there was a group of people who were, most certainly, “my” generation \u2013 then there were those who were “older” and those who were “younger” \u2013 and a not inconsiderable number who were sort of “borderline” in one direction or another. Its not something that I could put number on \u2013 it was much more an innate sense of “belonging” to my own generation and everyone else was either in or out (or occasionally on the boundary).<\/p>\n
When we are young that is, perhaps, reinforced by the fact that you are grouped together (in school for instance) with people your own age \u2013 it is uncommon for “youngsters” to mix with “adults” \u2013 indeed it was uncommon for 4th\u00a0<\/sup>year pupils to mix with 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0year!!! (although you might aspire to a 5th<\/sup>\u00a0year friend) There are some exceptions \u2013 school choir and school orchestra brought you together with a slightly wider age range \u2013 although you were still \u2013 for the most part \u2013 mixing with people within a year or two of your own age.<\/p>\n A “young” teacher was still actually quite “old” by this respect \u2013 and many teachers were already well on the way to ancient. (even though they were, quite probably, only in their thirties)<\/p>\n I then spent another five years at university \u2013 again with people around my own age although there were a few exceptions, especially in the post grad classes. All of this reinforced a “belonging” to a relatively narrow age range \u2013 anyone too far away from “the same age” was much less likely to be a part of your gang!!<\/p>\n There were some ways in which I was \u2013 perhaps more than most \u2013 accepted into a much wider age range of “people I knew” \u2013 of course your family is one such grouping \u2013 but that is quite highly structured by age\/generation as well. My church activities brought together a very wide range of ages \u2013 but even there I can remember that there were the “old” people \u2013 and the “ancients”!!<\/p>\n Diving into a “work” situation things are immediately different (although there is still an element of being with your own “generation”). The main difference is not so much with the idea that some are old, and some are not, it is with the fact that you no longer have any reference point to figure out exactly how old anyone actually is!! Yes, you can guess and you will be approximately correct, but there is no equivalent to “people in your year” that was around at school time. The lines are now drawn around the “company structure” and you associate with your “peers” who may or may not be your own age,<\/p>\n Looking back \u2013 the environment I found myself in to start with was a relatively restricted one in terms of age range. I was working with “new technology” and that sort of ruled out the “greybeards” \u2013 even the bosses didn\u2019t seem to be that old. In many ways in the (nearly) forty years since the company has grown old with me \u2013 however, I have not kept climbing the organisation\u2019s ladder for all that time \u2013 and the result is that in some ways I see many “younger” people as being more “senior” than I am \u2013 perhaps that in itself keeps me thinking “young”.<\/p>\n Those who start at the bottom of the pyramid and climb relentlessly to the top will, almost inevitably, see those below them as “youngsters” and will feel “senior” (and important!!) in some way commensurate with their age. They will indeed be the “greybeards”.<\/p>\n For me, it seems that even though I KNOW that I am nearing the end of my working life I still do not see myself as “senior” or “in authority” in most senses. It seemingly is the case that I cannot possibly be this old – simply because so many people are “more important” than I am.<\/p>\n Growing old is something that I am – inevitably – going to do even more of – this is just the start of the consideration of this process within this blog!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In recent days I have had a couple of discussions about “getting old” \u2013 and more specifically about a slight feeling of disbelief about how old we actually are. 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