Ain't Nothing But A Number!

[Miss Sassy1]

In light of Mandahh's birthday thread, I just thought I"d post my own about ages and what you all think of them. Is it true when they say that "Age is nothing but a number" or are they trying to tell us something subtlety? If they are, they're being too subtle in my opinion.

We don't show that we've aged overnight, or even over year. I bet that people you have been around your whole life will tell you that you look the same. That is because you have been changing subtly around them. They have known you for a long time and though they may joke around and say "You're old", they're just messing with you.

Now, if a relative sees you for the first time in let's say a year to five years, then yeah, to them, you have changed. They didn't get to watch you grow up. They don't see where your scars have been or what colors you've died your hair over the past years. Heck, they don't even notice how you've gained an accent, though they definitely noticed that you have an accent.

Change comes slowly. Smoking, drinking, drugs, hell, even sex may make you look older or younger than you really are. Scars make you different because now you have physical evidence that you've been hurt in the past. Mental scars are better to hide than physical scars, because they can't really see what's wrong with you unless they know you. So, if someone from close asks you what's wrong, then that means there's something wrong with you. If someone that you haven't seen in five years asks you what's wrong, that doesn't necessarily mean that there is something wrong with you. They just DON'T KNOW You anymore.

Anyway, I"m getting off topic. What do you guys think people mean when they say age is just a number. Do you think there's a hidden message in there or they are just trying to deny the fact that they're getting older.

Mandahh, if you see this, I know I've already answered your question, but here's a better answer to that. Just because I'm 24 now, and I was 23 doesn't mean that anything changes really. You're still the same size, you still wear the same clothes, and you still laugh the same laugh. Birthdays won't matter for another few years, when they will actually notice that you're older. until then, we just are who we are, whether we're older or not. You're still the same ole Mandie I met almost three years ago. Anyway, I"m done blabbering. I just thought it was curious about that, and thanks Mandahh for putting my mind into thinking mode. :stickout

Anyway, my question's somewhere up there. Read and find it :stickout

 

[mandahhh]

Very insightful, Amby!
And yeah, I agree. I just wanted to see more of how the age of 23 was for people. Everyone is different, so I was curious as to how they viewed that age.

 

[Smoten]

When my dad died last year I started looking at age a lot differently. I started asking myself: will I too be dead in thirty years? Will I be dead in the next ten years? Will I live another seventy years? How much time do I have left? The answer is: I don't know and I have no way finding out, thus I should appreciate the time I do have and make the most of it.

If anything I've come to truly understand the briefness of life and to treasure those who share themselves with me because they won't be here forever. I've come to view a person's age as the number of years worth of moments, memories and experiences that make them who they are, but at the same time I don't think a person's age is a very good indicator of a person's maturity. Some people are wiser beyond their years, some people never grow up past their teenage years; everybody's different.

In the end, all I want is to be able to look back on it all and feel rest assured that it was all worth while and then look forward to seeing all the people that made my life awesome again in heaven.

So to answer your question: no, I don't think age is just a number. I think the people who do think that are just trying to ignore the harsh reality that they're that much closer to death and that scares them.

 

[Mash]

If age didn't matter, we wouldn't keep track of it.

 

[Smoten]

I've put a little more thought into it and I think it doesn't really matter which way you choose to view it. As long as it helps you in a positive way through your life, by all means go for it. It's a good life philosophy to have in all matters.