The age-old problem

Ironically, we are always referred to as ‘old’, in terms of age, since the moment of our birth. An infant born merely a month ago is one month old. A baby completing one year’s existence is called one year old. Whatever your age—10 years, 20 years, or 60 years—you will say that you are as many years old, never so many years young. The vocabulary of age measurement is not compatible with our desire to be perceived as young.

When we are in our teens or in our twenties, becoming old one day is never on our minds. It is only after we cross 50, especially if inflicted with some ailment or the other, that the prospects of old age start looming on the horizon. Let me recount from memory two anecdotes that betray our vulnerability about being deemed old.

I experienced the bitter taste of reality check at the mere age of 35 when I was about to board a bus at a bus stand. A girl who appeared to be in her teenage years approached and addressed me, “Uncle, where will this bus go?” Piercing my vanity, the word “uncle” uttered by the teenager left me crestfallen. The premature thinning of hair and the fledgling paunch I had developed due to a job-induced sedentary lifestyle would have made me appear middle-aged, I presumed disappointingly.

A couple of years ago, my mother was admitted to a nursing home in a serious condition. The doctor asked me her age. Approximating, I blurted that she was 85. My mother, who was almost unconscious due to the precarious condition, opened her eyes and mouth to protest that she was 82 years old only.

Not only there is immense sensitivity about not being viewed as older, but also an innate desire to appear younger than the actual age. However, efforts have to be made to fulfil this aspiration. Let us have a peek into the dos and don’ts of maintaining a youthful look. Nothing comes easy.

Having the urge to look younger is motivation enough for maintaining a fitness regimen. If your general health is good, you will look better.

These days, people generally manage to look younger with the aid of cosmetics. Dyeing of hair instantly metamorphoses men and women to look younger. Hair dye is usually used by one and all above 50, with the exception of a few who opt to stick to their grey hair. Density and colour of hair matter for those wanting to look younger than they are. While colouring can be managed through artificial means, the thinning of hair cannot easily be.

Gleeful and smiling faces exude youthfulness. Be friends with younger people to benefit from the contagion effect. It helps to keep childlike impulses alive in our hearts.