One of the greatest things said me by a favorite aunt not long before she passed away was when she reminded me that “gettin’ old ain’t for sissies.”

Since turning 40, I think about that profound statement on a regular basis. Oh, I can still bend down like I used to. It’s the straightening back up that requires a little more concentration. And it’s true that heavy boxes look a lot better in the basement than in the attic. And speaking of bending, it won’t be long before I make that appointment with the doctor. You know, “that” appointment. Which reminds me, I’ve got to find those transcendental meditation tapes.

We’re told (usually by those younger than us) that age is a state of mind and that we’re as young as we feel. Right. Give Elvis a call and see how he feels about that ideal.

I agree that the aging process won’t affect you if you stay away from mirrors. What you can’t see can’t hurt you.

Actually, age doesn’t bother me much, until I think about how fast it has accumulated. Or when I’m speaking to young people.

No, I don’t use the old line about walking five miles to school in a driving snowstorm, but I did ask a kid wearing canvas high-top sneakers if his dad knew that he had borrowed his shoes. The kid looked at me like I was crazy until I explained to him that canvas tennis shoes were the rage 25 years ago, and just figured that his dad might have had an old pair laying around. Then he told me how much he paid for his All-Stars and it was my turn to throw the look.

Times have certainly changed. Nobody will make you realize that quicker than a group of today’s youth. I suppose it’s okay once you learn the language. But only then can you begin to point out the differences in generations.

I recently spoke to a group of high school seniors who told me that they were born in 1985. To say that it is a different day is an understatement. I found a list of things that people born after 1985 have either never heard of or have a unique concept of. A warning to my contemporaries and older readers, this could be painful.

For people born after 1985, there has always been an AIDS screening test and they never heard Howard Cosell call a Monday night NFL football game.

Ricky Nelson, Richard Burton, Orson Wells, Karen Ann Quinlin and the United States Football League have always been dead. Paul Newman has always made salad dressing.

Gasoline has always been unleaded, stores have always had scanners at the checkouts, computers have always fit inside backpacks and test tube babies are now having their own babies.

Iraq has always been a concern, the Osmonds are just talk show hosts and an automatic is a weapon, not a transmission. And the list goes on and on.

What might be interesting is to imagine what these 18-year olds will be saying 20 years from now.

“When I was your age, a gallon of gas only cost a $1.50 and a hamburger was just three bucks. And we never would have considered piercing that. And as for clothes, well, let me just tell you that back in my day they made us wear them.”

Yes, times they are a-changing. And like the old gal said, to handle em’, you gotta be tough.



Tom Mark is the sports editor of The Tifton Gazette. He can be reached via email at tom.mark@gaflnews.com