The title above is, if I am not mistaken, the plural form of annus horribilis (an expression made famous by Queen Elizabeth).
The so-called Golden Years can be more horribilis than golden… unless you keep updating your brain with the latest version of the “young thinking” app. I recommend selecting “automatic updates” in the “settings” area of your cerebrum to avoid missing anything.
Just like your computer, your brain will be brought up to date regularly and will be kept working more efficiently.
By the way… excuse me for asking, but are you an old dude?
It depends. You are only as old as you act. If you shuffle your feet when walking, you are definitely old. If while sitting in a café terrace you still read a newspaper instead of abusing your phone, you also qualify. If you don’t look at the girls anymore, you are almost dead.
But if you fall asleep in your Tesla while on the freeway, you are not old. You are young, stupid and close to death.
Age is a state of mind; it does not represent the number of years that you have lived. It is the way you look at the world. Anybody witnessing a certain scene memorizes a different vision of what actually happened.
A young person witnessing such an event sees something different than an octogenarian… unless the old dude has managed to remain progressively thinking.
When you feel old age creeping up on you, buy new toys. It is the best medicine. Buy a drone, a virtual Reality Headset, a car, an island, a boy toy or a trophy wife… It will distract you for a while and prevent you from getting down in the dumps…
Dying is like coming to the end of a long novel–you only regret it if the ride was enjoyable and left you wanting more. Jerome P. Crabb
If you don’t want to have any regret when you buy the farm, keep busy and keep mingling with young people. You could teach them a thing or two and they in turn, will keep you updated on what to wear and what to say.
You don’t need to know the exact meaning of some tech expressions, but you have to remember some so that you can drop them when you feel overwhelmed.
I recommend biobreak, meatspace, yoyo mode, legacy media, biometrics, cloud computing, wearables, brainjacking…
Take your pick and use any of those words when you feel snowed under. It will impress the kids and give a needed boost.
Alain