What is the nastiest, most insulting word that somebody can throw at you today? Quick!
It is not a four-letter word, and I am pretty sure that you won’t guess the answer…
Let me help you. Today, the most abusive remark in the English language, is a tiny three-letter word: OLD! You are old, you are an old fart, you are an old bag, you are too old for this job/part…
Old age is an insult. It’s like being smacked. Lawrence Durrell
Yes indeed, today being called “old” is an insult, a dirty word not to be pronounced (just whispered) in polite society. Don’t ever believe the syrupy stances you hear on TV about getting old gracefully… and loving it. Getting old is a relentless pernicious process. And to add insult to injury, it requires a lot of efforts… and a lot of money.
Aging is a sneaky process. You don’t feel a thing. Everything seems to be normal, and suddenly you discover that all your hair is gone and that you have gained 10 pounds overnight. Tarnation! What happened?
You did not know it, but your body has been under siege for months/years by invisible enemies whose leader is known as OLD. Mister OLD. A nasty, unpleasant fellow. His troops like termites, toil silently in the dark, and suddenly your entire shiny building starts to fall apart.
And when you visit your doctor, he/she has not much to offer… just tests and pills, in a great variety of colors and shapes. Because what can you do stop the advance of old age? Bathe in virgin blood like Elisabeth Bathory? Not very practical… besides, there is an acute shortage of raw material today…
Old age is a woman’s hell, said Ninon de L’Enclos. And she ought to know. She was a smart, literate, independent woman who entertained many men. She was a person known for her wit and beauty and getting old for her was certainly hell. But she was an exceptional woman, and she managed… “she died at the age of 84, as a very wealthy woman.”
Why this sudden outburst? might you ask. Well, I feel that I am not in command of my body anymore. Different organs and limbs refuse to obey as directed and I feel like am caught in a “révolution de palais”. My closest (well-fed and well-paid) body parts are abandoning me. It is rather irritating wouldn’t you say so?
But like Spunky Zelensky said, “we are not ready to surrender”. And neither I am… but old age should be avoided at all costs. If you know somebody influential, call that person and ask him/her to cancel your aging activity. By the way, it can be done remotely.
A woman tells her doctor, ‘I’ve got a bad back.’ The doctor says, ‘It’s old age.’ The woman says, ‘I want a second opinion.’ The doctor says: ‘Okay – you’re ugly as well.’
Alain