Almost a year ago now, I had one of those “significant birthdays”.
I’m still not really sure what was significant about it. I reached a number, but I didn’t start feeling more mature, my friends and family didn’t start treating me vastly differently and this set me thinking…
Frequently, we use age as a rule of thumb way of forming opinions about people.
When I moved in with new people, one of the first things friends/family etc asked me was their ages. When I talk about friends, I’m frequently asked how old they are.
I’m not convinced that age is the useful indicator people seem to think it is:
When one meets someone, what does age actually tell you?
• If they school age, you can work out whether they have important exams.
• Whether they can legally drive, vote, marry, have sex etc.
• Whether they’re likely to be thinking about retirement,
What age does not help you establish are things like:
• Life experience
• Maturity
• Intelligence
• “Seriousness”/Longevity of relationships they might be in
• Financial status
• Educational or Professional Qualifications
Sometimes I find out that friends are older than I imagine them to be, sometimes younger. Sometimes significantly so. But when I retroactively find out someone’s age; it doesn’t matter – I won’t think any different of them.
But finding out someone’s age before you know them? You don’t really learn anything. You might think you learn things, but you don’t.
And turning 21? What changed? Sod all.
Ages are ages are ages. They mean nothing.