I Don’t Want to Grow Old

Nonardo Perea

HAVANA TIMES — As we all know, many people today do anything to retain a youthful look. I don’t know why, as the marks of aging are nothing other than a reminder one has had a long existence. People who do not age, it is reasonable to conclude, die young.

There are those who try to halt the passage of time at all costs, through aesthetic procedures that can include surgeries, Botox injections and anything the cosmetics industry puts out there.

As I see it, when maturity announces its arrival, the years begin to pile up, one after the other, and it sometimes feel like a train running over us.

It would be hypocritical of me to say I feel comfortable with my age. Of course not, and not only because I get tired more quickly now than I did before. I can no longer touch my toes with the tips of my fingers, my libido has gone down, my aches grow in number, I can’t do a split like Madonna does (at the age of fifty-seven).

We can’t lose from sight, of course, that the Madonna of the 80s and 90s was something else. Despite all the publicity surrounding her work, she now has trouble getting a single into the top 10 list, and US broadcasters aren’t that much interested in airing her songs. Why? It’s simple: for the media, Madonna is already too old and worn out. It doesn’t matter how good her last album was, she doesn’t even get MTV nominations, where young women reign, even though they’re superficial and untalented. They have what the industry demands: youth, that precious treasure.

It’s crazy. It no longer matters how much effort an artist puts into their work, it doesn’t matter how artistic or professional you are or the long career you have behind you. I focus on Madonna, who has been my muse for decades. The worst part is that, as in most things, women are the ones who suffer this most, and we know why.

I feel far too much importance is given to age today. For many, a 30-year-old person is already old. Even many literary and film festivals have an age limit of 35. If you’re older, you are no longer eligible. In short, it’s almost as if, after that age, you cease to exist. This is also true of many photography competitions and many other things.

From time to time, I fight against it, like many other people who regard old age as the worst thing that can happen to us. However, I am also convinced it is something inevitable. As I said at the beginning of this post, those who do not age quite simply die.

I have my sights set on life. Old age is something we must all face, and we must realize old people can also create new things. Old age is not in the least bit inconvenient. An old man can be just as creative as many young people, and they can also have plans. Most importantly, they have experience, the experience many young people today don’t have, as maturity seems to arrive quite late these days.