Maybe you're in your early 20s. Maybe you're just a teenager. It doesn't matter, you're old.
You might not know it but, in many ways, your best years are already behind you. "But I'm still a student!" you might protest. "I'm still growing mentally!" you'll say. Well, sorry pal.
According to a page dedicated to brain research on Pfizer's website, your brain reached its full size around age five. Around that same time, you also lost your ability to learn new languages natively and used up the best years to learn math, logic and musical skills. Not to mention that, starting around age 20, your brain loses about one gram of weight every year.
In fact, ever since you were a little kid, your senses have been in a steady decline. You'll never be able to taste delicious food as well as you once did. Your vision and smell is slowly and inevitable getting worse. And, perhaps with help from your iPod, your hearing is going downhill as well.
A recent article in The New York Times described a high-pitched "Mosquito" ring tone some teenagers have started using because it is inaudible to adults. This is because the range of frequencies people can hear decreases as they get older. My 17-year-old brother and I could hear it, but neither of my parents could. Even when it was played at loud, screeching levels, my parents would just stare at each other blankly while my brother and I covered our ears. I found this all to be pretty funny, until I realized that, in 10 or 15 years, I won't be able to hear that sound either.
But is getting older really all that bad? Sure, there are some skills and abilities I shall never be able to regain, but with that loss comes so many other things. We are constantly learning and gaining experience at any age. Some more refined skills are even best acquired at older ages (chess or streaking, for example).
Besides, it's kind of hard for a healthy 20-year-old like me to complain about aging. It will be (knock on wood) quite some time before I start experiencing any noticeable decline. And, there are some major peaks that still lie ahead for people my age. Our intellectual peak can come at any time during adulthood. Even peaking athletically doesn't come until the mid-20s or even later. Just look at Barry Bonds or, better yet, the less tainted Randy Johnson. The best years for these baseball players came in their 30s.
I think the best thing to do at times when someone feels old is for them to resolve to enjoy their youth while they can. Personally, what I fear most about getting older is that I will have missed out on the window to experience all that life has to offer. In addition to that, I want to savor what I do experience. When the day comes that I'll be in diapers, my only hope is that I will have thoroughly enjoyed my last session on the throne.
So, enjoy the days you have left and be satisfied with the days you've already had. Don't wait until you're 80 to go rock climbing. Don't take the health and vigor you've got now for granted. If you need any more suggestions for ways to enjoy your youth while you can, give me a call on my cell phone. But don't wait too long to call, though. I just got that "Mosquito" ring tone and, if you put it off, I might get too old to hear it.
Daniel can be reached at mcnally@cavalierdaily.com.
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