The Shadow Of Old Age Comes When We Turn Off The Light Of Curiosity

Authentic old age enters the scene when a very specific shadow overtakes us: that of discouragement and obsession with the passage of time. Perhaps, for this reason, there comes a time when we realize that having a birthday is inevitable, but growing old at heart is optional, something for which we do not want to be prepared.

Now, beyond our good attitude towards the passage of time, we all know that physically aging is not the most pleasant part of the maturation process. The years hurt in the bones, in the joints and sometimes even in the soul when the elderly person must bear the loss of a spouse or other family member. Reaching the autumn of our life cycle undoubtedly means having to combine other types of strengths for which we have to prepare little by little.

Helen Kivnick, a social psychologist at the University of Michigan and an expert in promoting healthy aging, tells us that today’s old age is no longer like it was before. We live in a society where the elderly sector has already acquired great relevance within our population pyramid. Now, these “young people of mature ages” are very active, they have a relevant role in our environments and they live this stage in a very fruitful way.

It is often said that aging is the masterpiece of life, and although many do it in the best way and serve as a wonderful inspiration, there are those who still refuse to accept the passage of time. In fact, and this may not be known to everyone, nothing ages us more than obsessively thinking about getting old.

We suggest you reflect on it.

The shadow of the passage of time

Susan Sontag was long the critical voice of America’s conscience. Essayist, writer, film director and screenwriter stood for several decades with the clairvoyance of someone who knows that he must bring to light what lived in the shadows of a country. Following her death in 2004, her son and his partner, photographer Annie Leibovitz, released a series of evocative archival images of Sontag emotionally saying that she “loved being alive.”

As she herself reflected in several of her books, the true fear of growing old is born when one realizes that he is not leading the life that he really wants. This is where the true shadow arises: that of being aware that we are misusing the present. Despite the fact that ethologists tell us that each generation tends to face old age in a different way based on the social and economic context in which they live, there are a series of facts that always backbone that inharmonious and unsatisfactory aging.

The importance of our psychosocial health

Within life cycle therapy, the need to attend to people’s psychosocial health is discussed above all in order to guarantee a more dignified and happy aging. This approach would certainly allow us to address that dissatisfaction Susan Sontag spoke of: the feeling of having wasted one’s youth and projecting a deep malaise in the present. A disconnection capable of leading the person into the deepest isolation and, of course, depression.

Psychosocial health problems are approached from different areas. Some of them are, for example, addressing frustration, impulse control, improving the adaptation and integration of the person to their social context and in turn, offering adequate emotional management strategies.

Beyond seeing these strategies as specific tools with which to work in elderly people who suffer from isolation or emotional fragility, they are areas in which to invest every day regardless of our age. Because getting old is after all like climbing a mountain. Sooner or later we realize that our strength is lacking.

However, only those who reach the top with a clear mind and a wise heart have a broader, free and serene look to see the beauties that life hides.

Keys to maintaining an ever young heart

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the estimates of population aging already suggest a real challenge. It is estimated that by 2050 our planet will have about 2 billion adults. Life expectancy is much higher and, therefore, one of the purposes for the entire health, care, cultural and service sector is to guarantee a decent and satisfactory old age.

Now, beyond the social organisms of our surroundings, facing the passage of time is a very personal aspect. We are the ones who, with adequate psychological and emotional resources, have to face this new stage of our life. These would be some simple keys.

• Understand that the shadow of old age comes when you stop learning, when you turn off your curiosity and live more of memories than dreams. It is not the right thing to do.

• Never open your eyes to the new day without a project to accomplish, without a goal to assume or without a rewarding task in which to invest your time. 

• Do not stay at home: participate in social life, friendships, walks, trips, laughter, dances …

Live the present with the intensity that your body leaves you, but never forget to attend to it, pamper it, follow the rhythm that it allows you, but to the beat of that music that is never lacking in young hearts.

Images courtesy Des Brophy