by Michy Lynn

Created on: February 05, 2010

Not every country in the world believes aging is something to be feared or condemned. In the United States, there appears to be, based on television and print media, an obsession with youth and beauty, and it seems that many believe the two -'youth' and 'beauty'- to be synonymous. That is not, however, the case in all countries. In fact, in some parts of the world, age is attributed to wisdom and the elderly are treated with utmost respect and reverence. So whether or not aging is perceived negatively depends greatly upon personal experience, upbringing and the culture and area of the world in which one lives.

In America, children look forward to growing up and aging because there are many milestones to be reached during the aging process as a child and young adult: double digit ages, teen years, diver's license, sweet 16, becoming an 'adult' (18) and being able to drink (21). After 21, there isn't a whole lot of incentive to be happy about continuing to age in American.

Of course, with age, comes additional respect and responsibility. It's unlikely the CEO of a Fortune 500 company is going to be 21 years old, but with the internet age and the digital companies that are exploding, the average age of major corporate officers has decreased, and with it, the prestige that once came from being older meaning you can move up in the ranks is no longer as solid as it once was.

It is true that we lose some physical ability when we age: eyesight decreases; hearing decreases; urination increases; sleep decreases while the need for sleep increases; aches and pains and joint problems abound; and then there is the dreaded menopause, when a female's body no longer does what it biologically was designed to do. But are we only the sum of our bodies? Is a woman only a woman if she is able to biologically reproduce? What about a young and healthy woman who just happens to be unable to bear children? Biological ability does not a person make, so as the elderly slow down in the body processes, they gain much in experience and wisdom. Because of this, there is much to be learned from the elderly of our society. This is something other societies and culture that revere the elderly know well.

And yet, we tell jokes about aging, we throw 'over the hill' parties, and we cringe when we ourselves hit one of the zero (30, 40, 50, 60) birthdays. We check the mirror for those fine lines and spend hard-earned money on anti-aging products. We scour through our hair for any signs of those banal

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