Tags
age, Charlottetown, generation, Laurent, life, Me, PEI
Last night I suddenly came to a realization, we were at Baba’s Lounge which is upstairs from Cedar’s Lebanese Restaurant on Great George Street. Baba’s is an institution and is known by all musicians on PEI. Several nights a week they have music, on Thursday nights it’s Jazz night and last night Island Jazz was performing. The group is Ben on piano, Marlee on saxophone and Evan on bass guitar and Brandon Roy sang and what a wonderful voice he has. All are either music teachers or musicians and Brandon is a professional singer with that wonderful booming voice appearing in several shows here and in Toronto. The age group last night was between 25 and 35, the new up and coming generation, in this case talented, fun, full of energy, nice people.
This is not a pity me post but more a sudden realization that I am older now by about 30 years from that generation. I have turned a corner like you do at 20 or 50, life changes and you change. People also react to you differently, I hear references to being older meaning you belong to a different generation. We socialize with people more our age or somewhat older, though I do not necessarily share the same world view. This may have to do with the fact that I travelled around the world and my views are maybe more based on my own life experience in different cultures. If we meet with younger people I am very aware that we may not speak the same language because age can create a distance.
I had pictures taken recently by a professional photographer, the results were quite good, this has to do with a project I will speak of later, looking at them though I thought do I look this old now or is this what people see.
Maybe it is, by looking at pictures at another time in life I see a familiar face at a different time, this is where I am now. Maybe this is why I find the change so shocking in some ways, but then it happens to all of us.
I do not really see myself at 61, it just does not make sense to me. I do not feel older, just the same. I do think from time to time that I may have another 25 years to go, if I look at my close family relations and my parents, if good health holds then another quarter century is not bad. It’s just that everything looks shorter now in terms of time span. One might think that at 30 or 40 you can still think I got decades in front of me, but the reality is that no one can be certain of what they have left.
Maybe this is what comes with age, you know the past, you have experience and your life is shaped by all the years of living. Is this what is meant by, Life changes us, I think it does, we stay the same but life experience and time changes us. So maybe this set of photos are what I do look like today, just make the best of it and move on.
I keep having that same realization. I have it. I forget it until the next time. YOU look mahvelous!
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Thank you
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Ah, les affres du grand âge… J’adore la photo où tu fais directement face à la caméra. Le bar jazz: t’en as du courage d’aller là. De plus en plus, je trouve que les jeunes m’énervent 😂.
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il faut dire que ce groupe là sont bien sympathique, par contre d’autres jeunes m’énervent moi aussi
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The same thing about generational change hit me when I realized that most of my colleagues at work were young enough to literally be my children, if I’d ever had any. Hoo boy!
But just remember, Laurent, we will never be as young again as we are today, so enjoy it!
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Thank you Debra for the wise words. I retired when I realize that every one in the Office was a kid and I felt like grandpa. Time to go I thought.
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Every morning when I look in the mirror, I wonder what the hell happened. I’ve perfected the art of shaving without really looking at my face as a whole. Given I’ve been HIV+ since I was 27, I’m thankful I’m still alive at 60 but I still have a hard time with aging.
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I think it is a universal condition, we just have to get use to it and look ahead. Is this where you sing Be Happy don’t worry.
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There comes a point when the realization that the clock is ticking (age wise) is no longer merely an intellectual construct. What one does or can do with that realization is hard to say. For me, it includes a reassessment of what is most important to me and consequent adjustment of priorities.
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I agree stick to the important stuff.
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Dear Laurent,
Age takes away so much, it terrifies us. But being old now, I realise that what age has taken away has been infinitely repaid by what it has given in return: insight, and intense love of the beauty of the world.
I often think of these lines by Browning – have done so all my life – and am comforted by the truth found in them.
Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in His hand
Who saith “A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!”
Best,
Reg
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Reg what a beautiful comment and such a nice thought. Thank you
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This was a marvelous post – one of your best ones yet.
I didn’t know or had forgotten you were left-handed. Only the best baby !
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Yes left handed like Obama. thanks!
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I wear contact lenses. I get up, shower, shave and look in the mirror and think things look ok. Then I get dressed, put my lenses in, and before I leave, check myself again. It’s at that point I think – what in God’s name happened??
All I can say is it’s not what’s going on the outside that matters.
My Dad has a saying – youth is wasted on the young. And it is!
JP
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thank you for the thought. But are you not 30 something?
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40 and counting…
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Thank you for your post. Your words captured a lot of what I think when I’m at work. I am one of the older ones now; working with 25 to 30 year olds that could be my children. The Latin teacher is 22, and I am her peer! The aging process does scare me a bit, but then I realize that there is no alternative but to age. I do think youth is wasted on the youth. With age comes wisdom, something that young people don’t have because of the nature of the beast. PS: You look great!
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If you played for my team I’d be your cougar..
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thank you Jackie Sue
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