If we can believe much of what we read about human aging, men and women dread growing old. We are told that age becomes burdensome, making the body less attractive and functional, perhaps becoming deformed (decrepit) in some way, so identified as weak. King David, when old, had to be nursed because of his poor blood circulation. Solomon complained about aging, implying that decline contrasts somewhat to the strong experiences of one’s youth. Solomon implied that those persons remembering the creator in their youthful days bodes well for later infirm years. I have not the slightest doubt my commitment to Christ as a teenager was a magnificent early gift to me.
Many good men and women enter a different world at some point in their declining years. It is a different world of sound (too loud, too soft); of diet (less or none of this and less or more of that); of sight (seeing, but not seeing well); of bodily functions (change of functional controls, of intimacy fulfillment, and the like); of sharpness (slower walking, driving, remembering, responding, energizing); of interests (not wide ranging in engagement for work and planning, and the like); and, of relationships (less likely to be in the active mix, and likely to be treated as partly disengaged from younger family members in the active world). A recital of changes might well be extended. It adds up to change. Some closures occur before death. The importance of the natural world is presumed to be in significant decline for the aged – and it is. Further, the shortness of the remaining time makes elders less valuable to society, less meaningful in influence as related to the general course of the young majority of the population. Understanding this transitional period to the end makes it better and easier to navigate. It really is a good time period.
In earlier times age sixty was taken as the turning point, until sixty five was set by government decree for retirement. This last is now shifting again for extension, as life terms grow longer. The Bible makes sixty the number of active years for the ancients in soldiery, and fifty for priests. Daniel Boorstin, in his excellent book, The Discoverers, offers the story of Charles Lyell, the geologist, who opposed the evolutionary views of his friend, Charles Darwin. Boorstin referred to the sentiment of the era, held by Darwin: What a good thing it would be , , , if every scientific man was to die when 60 years old, as afterwards he would be sure to oppose all new doctrines. When in his late sixties, Lyell abandoned his opposition to evolution, Darwin observed: Considering his age, his former views, and position in society, I think his action has been heroic. It was deemed by Darwin to be heroic to change one’s mind after age sixty years.
The aged, if in health, may not be so different in social/intellectual balance from the rest of society. There are many youthful persons highly defensive of their views, so are many elders. As there are creative and wise citizens among the young so there are among the elders. The best discussion may be found in such questions as: If you lived your life over again what changes would you make? My answer is that I would have made: even more of education; more of family; more of the management of money and time; more of the spiritual dimensions of my life in prayer, in readings and in meaningful service. Basically it relates to degree, not difference. I would do more, or better, what I did. No matter now after forgiveness, God’s promise is for larger future meaning. I regret that the adults of society at the time period did not educate us in some life areas earlier. A few more questions in loving interest would have been appropriate, would have vaulted many of us forward, and might have made our lives more productive. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020