Comments on On Feeling Young

You win the depressing contest, Charles.

You're point is basically that life is over at 25, after which you get to work hard and fight the system so you can later feel lots of guilt and remorse.

Yay!

What's wrong with guilt and remorse?

I am almost 26. Is her point that as soon as I turn 26 I am considered "old?"

I'm really disappointed.

The rays of the sun do mess you up. As an old, leathery, sun rayed, weathered and beaten Latin American male, I can agree with that. This reminds me of Memories of Underdevelopment, where the Cuban narrator talks about Caribbean women and how the rays of the sun destroy them before their due time.

Over here, we have the young; over there, the old.

I find it amusing that you seem to group yourself with "youth" (a group that apparently ends at 25)

Is lying about one's age a chronic condition over at The Stranger?

And what about this depressing post makes it worthy to be reposted multiple times..?

I'm 32 and the happiest I've ever been, inspite of some shitty things that have happened recently. I'm also in the best physical shape.

I'm not sure if Joan is still writing books, but if she is I wonder who the stars are of her books. Is she writing about 70 year olds? Oh, wait am I think of Jackie Collins? Does Joan write books? Oh well...

@5 - it's okay because emotionally they're still in their teens ;)

colin, i have been an old man since i was 20. My glorious youth only lasted five years.

Charles, most the time I read your posts and smile, but you have embedded a sharp point in this softball.

You're absolutely right: the power of the old is not drawn from pity. The power of the old--and the old have more power than the unregarding young may realize--is drawn from knowledge. The old know history, and therefore, to the extent each is capable, develop wisdom. Some, like Joan Collins apparently, are willing to trade wisdom for another try at youth, and some may be as dried up and blown away as Cephalus was, but many know the score better than they ever did in youth.

Jackie Collins, Joan Collins's sister, is the astoundingly brilliant novelist, possibly the greatest of all time. Joan's an actor. Though she did try her hand at a trashy novel once; it resembled her sister's work but was unreadable.

I see you are toight - toight like a toiger.