The term “over- the-hill” is a frightening prospect for almost everyone at some point in their life. Honestly, who can blame them either? In a society where economic climates and longer lifespans have increased the overall age of retirement among the general population, there is still an overwhelming and sometimes biased emphasis on the age. Whether you are male, female, young or old, as it stands, age at its simplest is only a number. How you old you feel on the other hand, is a state of mind.
What then constitutes as “over-the-hill”? Men and women for the most part tend to view this side of life differently based again, on various social constructs which build towards an uneven representation of age, especially in media. Daily we are bombarded with ads of women who appear barely over the age of twenty-five touting creams to hide “fine-lines” and “wrinkles” that don’t exist, or hair dyes to cover those “pesky grey hairs” which may or may not exist. Movies, working on the same theme of eternal youth have almost painful habits of presenting women nearing the age of thirty managing some kind of a mid-life crisis where they must choose between work or love before they become too old to experience one or the other. For men, a grey hair or two makes them distinguished and experienced while wrinkles add character, yet women are taught on a subconscious level to hide their age and even throw in the towel after they reach a certain number in years.
The underlying question remains: Why can’t we have it all? There’s no rule book that says a person male or female, has to achieve everything before that magic number, whatever it may be. True age, is a state of mind. Take for example, the recently departed Zelda Kaplan, who until the ripe age of 95 dressed up and went out for all night social gatherings in some of the “hottest” nightlife scenes. So many like her have said “no” to the social constrictions of acting age appropriate and have embraced life to the fullest instead.
Therein lays the challenge. Whether you are a man or a woman, to embrace life to its fullest one has to look beyond such barriers and push towards their dreams and goals. Over-the-hill is just a state of mind and some even say that 70 is the new 40. So, no matter what your age might be, remember one thing. You are as old or as young as you choose to be.
February 21st, 2012 at 5:51 pm
I think that age is more than a number to the extinct that most of worry about it more than we should just enjoy it. Enjoy today and tomorrow will take care of itself.
February 21st, 2012 at 7:15 pm
I totally agree with you, Darlene. We are as old or as young as we choose to be.
My body may age but my inner person remains young at heart.
February 22nd, 2012 at 2:30 am
Absolutely! Life is a continuum we can experience and enjoy at any age. Age merely gives us history that adds richness, wisdom that makes us choose more meaningfully, and experience that helps us avoid the pitfalls of our youth. I’ve heard of a grandmother in her 80s who finally got her undergraduate degree—because she didn’t have time earlier, she said, raising children and grandchildren. I’ve heard of a man who, at 98, got his Masters degree because he had to do something with his time! People of any age fall in love, start businesses, become famous authors, or run marathons for the first time. Society tries to perpetuate the youth culture message, and yet, on an individual basis, people are always captivated by someone who has a real passion for life—wrinkles, gray hair, or not.
February 22nd, 2012 at 10:54 am
Good thoughts, if you act old, you become old. Bite your tongue if the first thing out of your mouth in a new conversation is some sort of ache or pain. Get down on the floor and play with your gkids. You are only old if you let yourself be old.