Is age REALLY just a number

So today is senior's day at my work, and I cannot tell you how many people have been grossly offended by my asking if they qualify for the discount. First of all, the senior's discount age here is pretty young; it's only fifty-five. Now, this has got me to thinking; people (women especially) have a tendency to want to dodge around their age, even if it's in jest: "I'm forever twenty-nine". I'm genuinely curious why the number of years a person has been alive has become a thing of shame and embarrassment to so many people. Why is it an offense to ask how old a person is, or in what year they were born? If you tease someone about their age, i.e. "you're so old, you walked into an antique shop and they sold you!" Why is it considered humourous? I'm genuinely curious from a psychological standpoint.


I know, I know...I'm just a young 'un and I'll understand when I reach such-and-such an age

Well, my dad is 83 and is not the type you can at all joke with about his age. And he's not even some shrunk down old man who can barely walk. He gets out of the house daily, just to get out. Drives his Jeep Cherokee around, uses FB on his laptop daily and has an iPhone. Downloads movies from torrents. Does yard work. And he's' even taller than me at about 6 foot, maybe taller.
Yet if he gets a birthday card about him getting old he gets highly offended.
I think, at least in some cases, people don't like the reminder. They don't want to be reminded their skin is sagging, wrinkling. That they can no longer spring up out of a chair, etc etc....
Also when we look at most modern 'developed' cultures old age is often frowned upon. In areas with small villages and tribes elders are respected as wise and people to learn from. In 'developed' countries old people are a burden to shove in a home so someone else can take care of them.
And i've also learned that often times people don't, mentally, feel as old as they are physically. My cousin was about 50 or older and pulled up along side this car with 2 cute girls who looked to be early 20s. He smiled at them kind of flirtatiously then remembered he was 30 years older than they were and felt stupid hahaha. But he forgot his age because in his mind he doesn't view himself as that old. So, that could go back to the issue of people not wanting to be reminded. I know, even at 40, i sometimes forget that i'm 20 years older than many of the CCers here.
So i would say those are a least a few of the reasons.

AGE is just another, wonderful, precious, gift that our Father has chosen for us!

I think in the Western world age has become something to be embarrassed about, sadly. The Bible says that in Job 12:12 "wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in the length of days." I think back then age was something people revered and considered good. If someone lived to be of a certain age, he/she was considered blessed and highly favored.

Now it's all about looking and feeling young. There's a stereotype of older people being sick, unable to control their bladder, or just grouchy. I don't think this is all true, but it's a stereotype nonetheless. Whereas young people are considered attractive, active, healthy, and happy. Ironically I think it's quite the opposite. Lots of young people (millennials and the teens) are very unhealthy and very depressed.

I know a man who's about to be 85 and he's amazing! He was married to his wife for over 50 years until she passed away. He works in a farm on his own and reads the Bible every single day. He's read it three time this year alone! I know all this because he was in the newspaper. How many of us millennials or those younger, would be able to say that? The way things are looking, not very many.

Also, our society puts a huge emphasizes on looks. Most women and even some men are unhappy with the way they look. Of course if you're just looking at the exterior, younger people will look better. But if you look at everything (especially the heart), most of the older generations are way more beautiful than the younger ones today. After all, understanding and wisdom are beautiful traits that everyone can appreciate!

So yeah, I think that's why they get offended. I'll be 27 in Oct. and that gives me three more years to be in my 20s. I'm a little sad about it but then I stop to think that God loves me just the way that I am. Why should I have to worry about aging? Everyone is aging everyday. People in general just need to let go of what the media tells us. We need to find our confidence in Christ.

Maybe that's why a lot of people get offended too? Since many don't believe anymore, they don't even know where to find confidence, self-esteem, and worthiness. Kinda sad to think about.

Dignity, insecurity for some.
The older you are the more times you've been asked.. When it adds up like that I'm sure it gets annoying fast.

Personally I have struggled with my age for the last couple of years. My issue isn't the number as much as the fact that the number makes me feel a failure of sorts. I had always imagined I'd have children and a career and a wonderful family life by this age. However, being newly divorced and feeling like I've missed the "prime of life" so to speak, I'm pretty down about age. This past birthday was the hardest as it came just months after losing my momma and my marriage. So, I guess, to answer your question, perhaps it's the fact that some of us just haven't accomplished as much as we'd hoped we would by a certain age. Hope my ramblings made sense.

Miss,

you have hit the nail on the head'... you have been so honest', enough to say that what you expected in your
'new life' is what YOU had HOPED in your 'old-life' that it would naturally become in your new one...

this is one of the hardest lessons
that most of us will never learn...at the very least, it will take quite a while, with lots of work and trials and
errors...

in our brand-new lives with Christ, every thing becomes new...this is the real proof, of course not everything
changes and happens at first, but the changes that do start to happen in ourselves cannot be denied
and as we continue to grow on, we become stronger and stronger, more Faithful and more Faithful,
in His Name and Power that we have so lovingly surrendered to...

I would be honored to share with you, that for us, after our conversion, our lives began to be like the most
precious gift imaginable, with joy and faith and trust in our hearts, continually from our Heavenly Father,
it has almost been like a struggle for us to share with others this gift of Love, mostly because they simply
do not want to accept or acknowledge our joy and blessings that our Heavenly Father
has so lovingly and un-selfishly shared us....

If you add up the numbers of my age, I'm only 9 years old.. lol

Feeling young in Heart is different than feeling old in body, what I mean is the mind is powerful, if a person thinks in their mind they are old etc. this can impact the physical well being of a person, I'm sure everyone has heard if a person thinks they are sick you can become sick the same can be said about feeling happy or sad, if a person is sad all the time inside it can manifest on the outward appearence. Sure some people can hide their true feelings but at some point that can't be hidden forever someone will notice it.

right,

9 going on to 109... come on Bug, it's not all so easy!!!

==============================================================

tell me about it Wilie, especially when hubby has to roll me over when I can't move and somehow,
the Lord gives him the strength to put his healing hands in just the right places to get me a-moving!

as of tomorrow, me, too....

...... TMI!! TMI!!!

*looks at the 'husband' comment.
*looks at the blue name indicating a male.
*doesn't know where to look now...