older...
I wrote this post on June 24 but I forgot to post it publicly.
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It really annoys me when people around my parents' age get overly touchy about their age.
Let me explain - what made me want to write this post is a story told to me by a chaperone who went on tour with the high school choir from my church. She said that a young high schooler was relaying the events of her day to some chaperones one night. The young girl began to tell about talking to a woman in the community "who was older, you know, about 52." All of the chaperones who overheard the comment silently gasped but held their tongues because they were all around that "old age of 52." Then they thought "well, I guess when I was 15, I thought that 30 was old; so yes, 52 to her would be older."
I understand somewhat that throwing someone's age in their face is like a slap in the face. (It makes me feel so old that the class of '06 is going into its 4th year of college and that the class of '07 is even in college.) But why? Why are people offended by a number?
I'll tell you why - it's our society. Our culture says that being tall, thin, and young makes you beautiful. Women of all ages wear dangerously high heels supposedly because the shoes are just so cute, but it's really because (consciously or subconsciously) their idea of cool is influenced by society saying taller is better. Women are forever trying to find a new diet plan that will help them shed just 3 lbs* because being a size 6 is fat, a size 8 obese. Women are also trying to find new ways to hide their age - beauty treatments, surgery, clothing, etc.
Contrary to our culture age is actually honored in other parts of world/ other cultures. The wise men of a tribe are called 'elders' and are all old men for a reason. In America, there is a reason children do not have all the same legal rights as their parents. Why? Just think about it. "Older people" should feel thankful/ honored that God has allowed you to live 52 years in His creation, and they should be grateful for the wisdom and experience that comes with living that long.
Irresponsible young people, like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, rule the media scene, but a story about the death of a retired teacher who gave her life to her students only gets page 2 of the local newspaper.
*reference to the movie Mean Girls; it was supposed to be humorous so giggle ; )
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It really annoys me when people around my parents' age get overly touchy about their age.
Let me explain - what made me want to write this post is a story told to me by a chaperone who went on tour with the high school choir from my church. She said that a young high schooler was relaying the events of her day to some chaperones one night. The young girl began to tell about talking to a woman in the community "who was older, you know, about 52." All of the chaperones who overheard the comment silently gasped but held their tongues because they were all around that "old age of 52." Then they thought "well, I guess when I was 15, I thought that 30 was old; so yes, 52 to her would be older."
I understand somewhat that throwing someone's age in their face is like a slap in the face. (It makes me feel so old that the class of '06 is going into its 4th year of college and that the class of '07 is even in college.) But why? Why are people offended by a number?
I'll tell you why - it's our society. Our culture says that being tall, thin, and young makes you beautiful. Women of all ages wear dangerously high heels supposedly because the shoes are just so cute, but it's really because (consciously or subconsciously) their idea of cool is influenced by society saying taller is better. Women are forever trying to find a new diet plan that will help them shed just 3 lbs* because being a size 6 is fat, a size 8 obese. Women are also trying to find new ways to hide their age - beauty treatments, surgery, clothing, etc.
Contrary to our culture age is actually honored in other parts of world/ other cultures. The wise men of a tribe are called 'elders' and are all old men for a reason. In America, there is a reason children do not have all the same legal rights as their parents. Why? Just think about it. "Older people" should feel thankful/ honored that God has allowed you to live 52 years in His creation, and they should be grateful for the wisdom and experience that comes with living that long.
Irresponsible young people, like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, rule the media scene, but a story about the death of a retired teacher who gave her life to her students only gets page 2 of the local newspaper.
*reference to the movie Mean Girls; it was supposed to be humorous so giggle ; )