At the end of the movie, the once powerful man finds
himself unable to breathe without the help of an oxygen tank.
No matter how powerful he had once been, he, just like the
rest of us, was(is) powerless to prevent the aging process from taking
place.
Aging, is something that starts from the moment we are conceived,
however, I think for many of us, aging is something that we associate with
''old people''.
Exactly what is an old person? Ask a three year old, and an old person
is someone older than them, which may be an older sibling who is
10 years old, or his/her parents who may be in their 20's.
A teenager may consider someone in their 40's an old person,
someone in their 40's may consider someone in their 60's
as an old person, etc. etc.
The Urban dictionary: ''Old is when you are told to slow down by
your doctor instead of the police.
Old is when ''getting lucky'' means you can find your car in the car park.''
Like with so many words, how we define the word ''old'' varies from
person to person, and culture to culture.
Some say that ''old'' has to do with our mindset, whereas ''aging'' is what
happens to our bodies.
So, hypothetically, it seems to me that it is quite possible
to be an ''aged'' person, yet not be ''old''.
(As far as I can ascertain, mindsets can be altered regardless of a
person's physical age.)
So what do I mean with mindset?
A person's way of thinking and his/her opinions,
a person's frame of mind, a person's default mental attitude/state of mind,
a person's way of processing information.....etc.
Physical aging may be inevitable, but the ''age'' of our mindsets can remain
''youthful'' and flexible as long as we so choose.
(Unless we suffer with some form of dementia.)
If we view the aging process as something ''negative'',
something to fight against, then it can be difficult to consider
potential ''positives''.
Mindset in my view, is paramount to how we experience the aging process.
Instead of focusing our attention on what we perhaps no longer can do,
we can turn our minds to what we can do.
''I can still walk, although not as fast, I can still read, but I need my
glasses, I can still hear, but I need my hearing aids, I can still
enjoy a swim, although not as far, I can still enjoy a meal, a conversation,
a game of cards, a concert, a movie etc. with good friends, etc.etc.''
(In some cultures less obsessed with body image,
attributes such as insight, wisdom, experience, perspective,
and knowledge, are often valued.
Since such attributes more often than not are obtained through life
experiences and years under the belt, elders in such
societies are often viewed with respect and high regard.)
There is a myth that most old people are grumpy people.
I use the word ''myth'' because according to research, older people are no
more likely to be grumpy or crotchety than anyone else.
Actually, some research shows the opposite.
Whether someone is grumpy or not, has more to do with
personality and mindset than age.
''If we view every day as an awakening, we will never grow old,
we will just keep growing.'' (Gail Sheedy)
Our bodies, much like the body of a well-used car, will eventually
wear out. We may replace parts, re-paint the body, do touch-up jobs
here and there, but without a working engine, we will not go far.
A car with a ''scrappy'' looking body but with a well-working engine,
is still appreciated and useful,
however, a car with a good-looking body but with a low-functioning
engine....not so much.
How great it is that if we so want,
we can renew our mindsets
each and every day
regardless of what
our bodies look like!
About the image: It is a sketch made with graphite on tracing paper and
then edited in Photoshop and Pxlr.
The movie was about a man who who spent his life in the
pursuit of power, money, and control and with little time for
love and compassion. In the last scene he sits in a chair hooked up
to all kinds of machines, drips, and oxygen tanks.
Alone. And very bitter.
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