AGE IS NOTHING BUT A NUMBER; or so they say
You most likely might have heard this phrase at least once in your lifetime that ‘age is nothing but a number’. If you’re unlucky in this regards like I have been, you may have heard it many times more than you really want to. The question however is if you believe it; if due to constant repetition, you’ve started passing it off as the truth, or maybe you’ve really always believed it, that age is indeed nothing but a number.
People argue that this statement holds true and I agree too, that in some peculiar situations, its truth cannot be contested. But what of the other times this statement is completely taken out of context to defend a certain degree of silliness and absurdity?
In recent times, the phrase has been adopted by a lot of parties, and it is no longer unusual to see this phrase being cited in situations where it shouldn’t even hold any level of sound logic.
Age is many things beyond a number
I remember the first time I heard this statement used in a light that made me question its message. It was in a Nigerian movie, and in the movie the main character a little over twenty five and wasting his life in the village, was confronted by his elderly father. The father unable to fathom why his son would prefer to chase teenage girls in the daytime and drink palm wine in the evening, pointed out his age to him, and the mother who played a role where she always pampered her son came to his defence. Guess what her defence was? Yes you guessed right; age is nothing but a number
I never got to finish the movie so I can’t speak to its final message, neither do I know how the story eventually played out, but I remember for the first time, noticing how ridiculous that argument sounded in that context.
I also remember calculating in my head, that if age is really nothing but a number, then these numbers shouldn’t be closely synonymous with our body’s growth and maybe somehow, we could separate the both of them so that these numbers would never mean that we are close to death. I mean why do mere numbers have so much to say about our nearness or distance from eventual death?
If age is nothing but a number, then age should have the ability to run into infinity the way our number system does, and not be powerful enough to stop us from living, by the time we clock eighty, ninety, or hundred, as the case may be.
Age is many things beyond a number.
Age is the consciousness of the existence of time. It is the consciousness of the steady moving hands of the clock, drawing us minute by minute to the end of our lifetime.
Age is the reminder of the fact that immortality does not run in our blood stream.
Age is that concept that was naturally invented to put us in our right stage of life at every given time, the concept that makes sure we get the full package out of life, while being conscious of when exactly we are required to leave one stage and proceed to another.
Age is the check that would instigate the society into putting everyone in their categories to ensure that both the young and old are treated in a way that is best suitable for them.
Age is why it is wrong to have any sexual affair with a minor, because age points out to us, that the minor is not developed physically, emotionally and psychological to deal with such activity.
Age is the reality that rations out responsibility, and is supposed to make sure that no one carries less, or more than is required of them at any moment.
Age is the mantle that would grant the older ones the access to privileges, which would in turn spur the younger ones into desiring to grow.
Age is what instils a certain level of order, discipline, and sanity to our already insane society.
What is age to you?
Age shouldn’t just be a figure you remember for document purposes, it should be what would inspire you to get to work, understanding that age is mortality and mortality is limited time for you.
The awareness of age and ageing should be what would motivate you to pick up speed, running down the track of life, realizing that you have only but a short time to achieve all you have in mind to achieve, to change all you desire to see changed, and to build that legacy before your time is up. Age should be your reminder that you have been allocated a limited time that has already begun counting down.
Age should be what would spur you into reflecting soberly on the beauty and futility of life, and the reality of death.
Age is what would eventually bring you face to face with death, and death…what would death usher you into? Ever thought of that?
Age shouldn’t just be an ever increasing number to you, it should be the reminder of life and living; age should be the reminder of the existence of time.
Time – every second running into the next, combining to form minutes, minutes coming together to form hours, then weeks, then months, then years, endlessly running, unable to take a break not even for once.
Numbers must not be coherent or chronological at all times; age never breaks its flow pattern. Numbers increase and decrease, age only increases.
Age is not a number; age is only represented by numbers
And there you have it! Another article from yours truly; Peniel Okwuchukwu.
So someone recently read my articles on Truth Zombie blog and commented on the goofy parts where I give a random confession or irrelevant information in a goofy style. She commented that the goofiness of those parts were consistent with my real life demeanour as a serious guy.
I confess I understand where she is coming from because my typical public persona is the waist coat ( I love my waist coats and vintage look!) and legs crossed type, with that Tommy Shelby type of gaze. I admit this is true to who I am and is not branding, but frankly there are other times when I want to hang from a ceiling fan and pretend I am Tarzan swinging across the jungle while letting out a comical war cry. I guess it’s that part of me that takes a little peek when I write this goofy parts. Lol.
Have a beautiful day, or night!
This article was written by Peniel Okwuchukwu for Truth Zombie Blog
Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Join 700 other subscribers