When You’re Older

When You’re Older

Becoming older is a gradual process that seems to occur over night. It brings with it many changes, some of which seem linked to Karma

There are mixed blessings to being older for most people, and to be honest, not all of them are blessings unless you are a strict Buddhist or something similar. When you are older, you are no longer expected to try to win open marathons or beauty contests.

That aspect is nice. Very nice, although I was never really very competitive anyway.

It is also nice to be able to apply the knowledge of a lifetime, although others will call you a silly old fool. To look them in the eyes and think, ‘If you only knew’ verges on smugness, but it is rarely the older person who starts it.

However, there are also drawbacks without a shadow of a doubt. Some of them are unavoidable like incapacity and illness, but others have the ring of Karma or payback.

You are aghast at the music, fashion and habits of the young, just like you shocked your parents with your loons, Hendricks and hippy clothes.

On a far less just level, you will be called a sponger because you invested in a house that went up in value and your children lived in all their lives and you will be vilified for accepting a state pension that you have paid into all your working life.

Your kids will expect a share of this accumulated wealth now, right now, never thinking that the house will probably go to them anyway one day. And you will have to wonder how you spawned such ungrateful sods, who can afford $30 haircuts, but can’t put petrol in their parent’s car or buy their own new shoes….

However, retribution will occur, unfortunately after you are long gone, and your grandchildren are as ungrateful as you and your children were and they are called ‘Silly old sods’ in their turn.

It is a sad, upsetting cycle for all people when they are older and should be broken by everyone showing more respect.

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All the best,

Owen

Podcast: When You’re Older