Things you need to know about aging

Coming soon is the first anniversary of the lockdown. I know it is not something we look forward to, much less to treat it as a celebration, but the point I am making is that time passes by quickly. Many of us may be working from home, and every day, the minutes seem so slow in passing, yet when you look at it from another perspective, you will be surprised at how fast time flies. One wise person says, “Time moves slowly, but time passes quickly.” This is more emphatic when we approach the second quarter of the year when I will be celebrating my birthday. So I dig deep into my treasury of articles and materials and came up with this article entitled: Nine Things You Need To Know About Aging. And as I go through each point, the more poignant they seem to me over the years. Let me share the material with you.

Here is what we need to know about aging:

• First, eventually, you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.

• Second, the older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.

• Third, some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me. I want people to know “why” I look this way. I’ve traveled a long way, and some of the roads weren’t paved. Ever since the lockdown, I have decided to let my hair go organic grey without having to color it black the way I used to.

• Fourth, when you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of algebra.

• Fifth, you know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks. (Good grief, and thank God I am not at this stage yet.)

• Sixth, I don’t know how I got over the hill without getting to the top, as somebody lamented.

• Seventh, one of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young.

Eighth, one must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.

• Ninth, being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.

And since we are in the subject matter of aging, another beautiful material posed advice from an age 85, Nadine Stair, many years ago. She wrote an article entitled:

If I had my life to live over

I’d dare to make more mistakes next time.

I’d relax.

I would limber up.

I would be sillier than I have been on this trip.

I would take fewer things seriously.

I would take more chances. I would take more trips.

I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.

I would eat more ice cream and fewer beans.

I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I’d have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I’m one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day.

Oh, I’ve had my moments, and if I had it to do over again, I’d have more of them.

In fact, I’d try to have nothing else – just moments.

Excellent reminders. I remember during the days of my youth, I would look at a person and say, “Boy, that speaker is old.” Today, I figured out that I am that man, so I asked my daughter boss Rachel, how come Millennials, and the older Gen Z still invite me to speak and do training? Gen X business owners and senior execs do this, which would be understandable, but why the younger ones?

Being a millennial herself, she says, “Dad, the young generations of today do not care about age sensitivities. As what they look for is authenticity, experience, and wisdom, and you can relate to them as they can to you.” That gave me a lot of comfort. I felt good about it, but she had to follow it up with another statement, and she says, “They like you, dad, you made sense to them, you have humor, and you remind them of their grandfather.” At that point, I wasn’t sure what my feeling was anymore. Just kidding, it is good to know that I can still be productive at this age, and the younger generation always finds me useful. Here is three-word wisdom when it comes to aging. “Grow Old Gracefully!”

(Connect with Francis Kong at www.facebook.com/franciskong2. Or listen to “Business Matters” Monday to Friday at 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. over 98.7 dzFE-FM ‘The Master’s Touch,’ the classical music station.)