“Youth is wasted on the young.”
But is it really? As I perused through "This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Aging," Applewhite makes note that ageism isn’t just something that applies to old people—it is very much a stereotype that encompasses people in all stages of life. Just like racism and sexism, people automatically make assumptions about you based on certain characteristics—in this case, a certain number warrants specific accomplishments and responsibilities. It’s a bit ridiculous when you start likening it to the other “-isms” plaguing our society today. Just as you wouldn’t say it’s surprising a woman is a doctor, you wouldn’t say the same thing about a 94 year old grandma who plays tennis.
I didn’t realize how often I asked how old someone was until I read this manifesto. I was and am still very curious about people’s ages. In fact, I like to consider myself a whiz at calculating age. I’ll hop around the question and ask people their graduation years and gauge the time from there. While it’s still natural curiosity, I can see where it’s harmful to label (or judge) someone based on their years. Even as a “young whippersnapper,” I still feel some pressure to live up my years. Many of my peers go out and have fun, and just have a good time. Sometimes I feel inordinate amounts of stress to do well in school, have a vibrant and exciting social life, and to be an enthusiastic person—just because I’m still in my late teens/early 20’s.
I’m afraid of aging because I feel like I’m already leading an uneventful life. Listening to everyone’s Oral History Project made me feel panicked. I feel like I’m not doing enough, experiencing enough—just being enough. What if someone interviews me and asks me about my life? I have nothing to say?! I’m living a paradoxical life where I’m content with doing my own thing, but feeling a little stressed when I’m not going out enough?
Lana Del Rey sang “seen so much, you could get the blues”—and I feel like I have those blues now. We all have an obligation to do something—to be better people, to be active citizens. But what if you can’t fix everything? What if… you just want to take your time and go nowhere in particular? To lead a life with no real direction, but still live a full life nonetheless.
But is it really? As I perused through "This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Aging," Applewhite makes note that ageism isn’t just something that applies to old people—it is very much a stereotype that encompasses people in all stages of life. Just like racism and sexism, people automatically make assumptions about you based on certain characteristics—in this case, a certain number warrants specific accomplishments and responsibilities. It’s a bit ridiculous when you start likening it to the other “-isms” plaguing our society today. Just as you wouldn’t say it’s surprising a woman is a doctor, you wouldn’t say the same thing about a 94 year old grandma who plays tennis.
I didn’t realize how often I asked how old someone was until I read this manifesto. I was and am still very curious about people’s ages. In fact, I like to consider myself a whiz at calculating age. I’ll hop around the question and ask people their graduation years and gauge the time from there. While it’s still natural curiosity, I can see where it’s harmful to label (or judge) someone based on their years. Even as a “young whippersnapper,” I still feel some pressure to live up my years. Many of my peers go out and have fun, and just have a good time. Sometimes I feel inordinate amounts of stress to do well in school, have a vibrant and exciting social life, and to be an enthusiastic person—just because I’m still in my late teens/early 20’s.
I’m afraid of aging because I feel like I’m already leading an uneventful life. Listening to everyone’s Oral History Project made me feel panicked. I feel like I’m not doing enough, experiencing enough—just being enough. What if someone interviews me and asks me about my life? I have nothing to say?! I’m living a paradoxical life where I’m content with doing my own thing, but feeling a little stressed when I’m not going out enough?
Lana Del Rey sang “seen so much, you could get the blues”—and I feel like I have those blues now. We all have an obligation to do something—to be better people, to be active citizens. But what if you can’t fix everything? What if… you just want to take your time and go nowhere in particular? To lead a life with no real direction, but still live a full life nonetheless.