Do You Fear Getting Older?

Whether you’re a 20-something or 70-something, there’s one thing we all have in common: we’re getting older. Year after year, decade after decade, we find ourselves getting closer towards whatever it is that’s waiting for us at the end. As our bodies start to show more and more proof of living (“Hello wrinkles!” “Oh, hey gray!”), it becomes all too apparent that there’s no escaping the aging process. And in a youth obsessed culture, that can be a frightening thing. Whether it’s purely superficial or on a deeper level, looking at what the future holds is something we have to face head on.

When we’re young, it seems like we can’t wait to grow up. But even with that eagerness to be an adult, fears still abound when it comes to getting on in our years. Similarly, when we’ve reached a certain age, we can find ourselves wistful about our youth, not really realizing what a better place we’re in with time, experience, and perspective.

I’m of the belief that as a community we can collectively debunk the myth that the best of our gay days are before 40 and then it’s all downhill after that. If we can all continue to inspire and contrive to live our lives to the fullest til the very end, I think we’ve got a good shot of changing societies beliefs and prove that age is truly just a number.