Age Ain't Nothing But A Number

Aaliyah might have been talking about how age shouldn't get in the way of a relationship, but this is going in a little different direction. This is about how age shouldn't get in the way of your life.

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I don't remember when the tradition started, but at least since I was 10, my Pops has asked me how it feels to be a year older on my birthday. It's like a call and response because every year I've said the same thing: "Meh, I feel the same as I did yesterday". Even from a young age, I didn't see my birthday as some huge, radical transition. But not everyone feels that way.

Do a quick DDG or Google Search for "What should every [your age]..." and see what shows up. This is what I get:

We're constantly comparing ourselves to others, hoping we fall within the range of normality for our current stage of life. We love analyzing and scrutinizing numbers: ACT scores, BMIs, salaries and the amount we've accomplished in our lives are no different. If you ask me, however, this can be a debilitating way of thinking. There will always be people who ever done more than you have, have used their time on Earth in ways you couldn't imagine. There's even a website you can even check out to see what achievements people have reached. Again, I'll be your guinea pig:

At 19, people have invented the rules of baseball, led their own expeditions, and delivered Harvard commencement speeches. And I remember when I first saw this site posted to Reddit and so many people expressed feeling bummed because comparatively, it looks like they've wasting space since their first breath.

But for me, I look at the achievements of these people and my outlook is "Wow, look at what the human spirit is capable of". At the end of the day, their lives are not mine. Yeats or Thoreau are not in my head, like some twisted Inside Out, berating me for not doing as much as them. I have to be happy with who I am right now, and if I'm not, I have to change on my own accord.

You know what's more important than a number? Your happiness. If you want to play dodgeball at 67, go right ahead. Want to go back to school, but you might be described as "over the hill"? Grab the nearest application and head to Walmart for school supplies. Wanna write n book or record a song, but you can't see R-rated movies alone yet? Get your mic, get your pen, and get creative. Don't decide on your success or your worth based on what others have accomplished at your age. Be your own benchmark. Be better than you were yesterday, irrespective of how many candles you put on your cake.

Instead of looking around, look ahead. Twin Peaks (which I'm currently bingeing) nudged me towards this mindset:

Whether you're 9, 19, or 90, focus on the life you have ahead and all the marvelous things you can still wrap your hands around, all the great things you still have to do. Imagine all the possibilities of the years ahead and don't let some number dictate your life.