“And I won’t get any older, Now the angels wanna wear my red shoes”
My second favorite Elvis lines, behind only “I Used to be disgusted, Now I try to be amused” or “When I said that I was lying, I might have been lying”.
Well, maybe my 3rd favorite, moving on before any more come to mind.
But is that a trade you’d accept – a cool pair of shoes for remaining frozen in age and time – never getting any older?
Which sounds great – some days. Other days, when my hip pain flares, or other physical agonies arrive, I’m not so sure. But then I wonder what lies ahead, what other pain – or pleasure – would be avoided – or missed – by staying in age-place?
At the moment feeling semi-mature, like I’ve got an angle on what I was placed here for, things making some version of ‘sense’ – I think I’d like to keep going to see what life holds. Or doesn’t, as the case may be. Freezing now would be like leaving a movie with 20 minutes to go – or hopefully more…
But what if there was Door #2, choosing your ‘freezing age and/or time’?
It’d be amazing to be 5 again, wouldn’t it? Innocent, learning incredible amounts daily – – but never learning why you’re here, what you’ll become, or reading the great books. Though Seuss’ ‘I don’t know, Go ask your Pop’ great life advice. But never finding the ‘pleasures’ of adulthood, or true love.
Wouldn’t it be great to be a teenager again? No! Shakes fist angrily (remembering acne and romantic rejection!). As an aside, do kids still get acne? But I think our gym teacher was lying about the cause, my vision is fine.
No, wouldn’t set foot in high school again – how many w’s in awkwward awge?
Or college, lucky enough to attend before words became violence, trigger warnings erupted and schools got expensive. Very expensive. And we knew everything back then, except common sense. As much fun as it was, don’t think my liver could survive another four years.
How about mid-30s? Loving your young family, working hard at your career, building for the future. Would you trade those feelings for never learning what happens to your family, how they’ll turn out? And how you’ll turn out? While I still had a good bit of hair, no thanks.
Maybe mid-50s? By now, a binder of life lessons, figuring how things really work. But maybe too late – all those “I wish I knew then, what I now know” lessons. Complemented by a bunch of “I wish I didn’t know now, what I didn’t know then” lessons – educational, but painful, family and friend moments, but too much so.
But you’d have more money than ever before, for whatever that’s worth… and hopefully true love endured. But having lived this long, I’d want to see how the movie ends. Pass.
But there is a door #3: Living your current life, keeping on as planned. Hoping for the best, planning for the worst. Avoiding pain, but learning without pain, pleasure makes no sense – or feels as pleasurable.
The random making one appreciate the routine, day-to-dayness of our lives.
Knowing that around the corner could be something horrific, but looking around the corner anyway.
Knowing that if we take any of this for granted, we’re not paying attention…
And knowing that if we’re lucky, every age we’ve lived through has been a favorite. All with good balanced with bad – hopefully in good’s favor – ever eager to see what tomorrow has in store…
ENHANCE YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THIS POST, PAIR WITH THE FOLLOWING ‘AGING HIPSTER MUSIC’:
Doves has released a new single “Spirit of your friend, which is great and added to the BATN playlist – enjoy. They’re one of my favorite bands.
And I have a new book out:
QUEENIE AND PA: ADVENTURES IN GRANDPARENTING… And Other Topics
Available on Amazon! Order today, laughing by Tuesday! Only 1.8 cents per laugh!