… it is a saying, not exactly to do with biological age but not unrelated. We have heard in various movies, time and time again, the actor goes, “I am getting too old ….”. In Lethal Weapon (1987 – 1998) Sgt Roger Murtaugh (Danny Roger); Blade (1998) Whistler (Kris Kristofferson); Behind Enemy lines (1986) Col James Cooper (David Carraldine) and the list goes on. Jack Nicholson, in a number of his movies muttered this same line, of being too old for this or that.
I believe that most people get to a point in their life when they just feel too old to tolerate certain things, too old to accommodate, too old not to confront. Enough becomes enough and we are no longer prepare to beat around the bush, soft pedal on issues, carry around dead weights, blunt the edges, tip toe around, we damm the consequences, become a mini rebel, an activist of some sort and we just say it as it is.
We get tired of hiding behind whatever we are hiding behind and do what we need to do. We find our tongue, we dare to stand face up to the bully, we dare to say ‘No’! We dare to unpick what we were told, to question unchallenged doctrines, to check the old landmark that was set. We get too old to be standard, to be regular, to conform. Too old to be silent at injustice and unfairness.
We just want to be whoever we truly are and to be loved or loath for that, as the case maybe.
Too old for silliness, brain numbing conversations, energy draining relationships, too old to care, we just want to be. Too old to be shy, too old to be timid, too old for nonsense, too old to engage in aimless battles.
Some get there in their lifetime, some never. It is not always a matter of biological age. Maybe this is maturity, maybe this is just being too old!
Beautiful Ivory 