Aging Into Relevance: Let's Begin
"We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn't. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing." Charles Bukowski People hate that I sometimes use the word "old" when describing myself. It very nearly provokes a violent reaction--the likes of which I would expect were I to use truly inflammatory language. But "old"? Let me explain. Calling myself old is not a form of surrender--instead it is, for me, an embrace --an acceptance if you will. Or, more accurately, embrace and acceptance as a form of preparation. In our culture, one is expected to resist aging forever, as if doing so demonstrates strength and control. But I take the opposite approach. Pretending a wave isn't coming won't stop it from crashing over you, but preparing for its arrival lets you "ride with it", resulting in a softer landing, and life beyond the crash. Who ...
