Today's question comes from the SoulPancake website.
"Do you fear aging?"
This is a topic I try not to think about, and for that reason I believe it points to a very obvious answer: yes, I'm scared of aging. But who isn't? Growing old means losing the ability to do things that we take for granted every day -- walking, breathing, or simply writing a sentence becomes a laborious task. Not to mention the loss of memory, which scares me most of all.
I believe that our character is shaped by the experiences we have in life. Our memory of those experiences, good or bad, builds the framework of our identity. So the question that emerges is this: when I grow old and if I begin losing my memory, will I begin to lose my identity as well? This prospect terrifies me.
I do believe, however, that any fear, harnessed correctly, can be a very positive thing. Coming to grips with the inevitability of old age can, and will, cause me to treasure the moments I have in my youth. For the most part, I'm healthy -- I can walk, I can drive, I can see someone from middle school and remember their name. Above that, though, I have an unwritten future. (If you start singing that god-awful Natasha Bedingfield song, I'll jump through this screen and slap the shit out of you.)
In my room, sitting on top of my dresser, I have an empty picture frame. Someone once asked me why it was empty, and my response was this: "Most people's rooms are filled with memories of their past -- pictures of the places they've been, trophies they've won, little knickknacks they've bought in their travels. This frame is a representation of my future. It's waiting to be filled with a picture of my graduation from college, my future wife, my children, or if worse comes to worse, a picture of my cats and dogs."
So am I scared of aging? Hell yes, I am. But am I excited to fill life's empty picture frames? You bet your ass.
A big thanks to Katie for recommending this question. You can find her on Twitter, YouTube, or her personal blog.
1 comments:
Memory loss or forgetfulness is caused by brain damage due to injury to the brain or any disease that causes damage to the brain.
Memory Disorder Clinic
Post a Comment