Age is just an artifact of the mind

Our family has this neat tradition where on Christmas eve, my ex comes to our house for supper and present exchange with his two post-divorce children, while on New Year's eve, his pre-divorce children and I go to his restaurant for a big all-you-can-eat buffet and party. We followed tradition again this year (or rather last year, but you know what I mean) and we all had a great time.

At the New Year's eve party, the restaurant provided two dancing areas: one for the younger crowd with a DJ and non stop dancing and another with a live band for the old coots. Our table was situated in the old coots area so the younger members of our group disappeared frequently to go and boogie at the other dancing area. My son Asparagus, who did not want to dance, and I were stuck with the live band. The band was composed of three guys, in their mid-late fifties: lead guitar, rythm guitar and drums. Even though their repertoire was mainly rock n' roll and oldies, their audience of old timers not only danced eagerly, they also complained loudly and rightly that the band took too many breaks.

As I was watching them dance, a thought suddenly hit me: the band, the dancers, they were all my contemporaries! Here I was, smugly laughing at the band's lack of stamina or at the dancer's grey hair, rotund shapes and shaky steps, never realizing that I was a member of the same generation. No white hair for me (Thank you L'Oreal!) but the same rotund shape and probably the same shaky steps, had I had the courage to step on the dance floor like them. The crusty lead singer, who was cultivating a vague resemblance to Mick Jagger, was probably feeling as young as my Asparagus. And the old ladies who were shaking their booties probably never considered themselves «old ladies».

Just this morning, I read an article entitled: «50 is the new 30». I'm sure that in a few years, there will be an article called: «60 is the new 40». The whole baby boomer generation is trying as hard as it can to fight back the aging process and, because of its sheer number, it may very well succeed in convincing itself and the rest of the world of its continuing relevance.