Better with age?

It's tough to say what my opinion on ageism is as its a topic that I had never given full consideration until the past few recent years.

With birthdays in my teens, I recall joking with friends about our "elderly" condition, and I'm sure walkers with tennis balls made their feature as we thumbed our noses at mortality. That's what the young DO. It wasn't ever meant as disrespect when we were young, although I can see how it could be construed that way. 

But now, having had more work experience with diverse coworkers in age, gender, ethnicity, and so on, I've become more aware of language and its effects. Offhanded comments equating "looking/feeling" old with something negative or an an undesirable trait are hurtful. 

First: Age does not equal health. At 31 years old, I find myself in need of respiratory medical equipment to assist my breathing at night. I don't smoke, I exercise, and I take relatively good care of myself, yet this is where I am. There are people my age and younger with worse debilitating conditions. My acquaintance Gary died at 27 from cancer. My friend David, near my age, passed away at a similar age fighting the same thing. There's nothing sacred about your 20s, 30s, 40s. Not comparatively. And honestly, not even childhood is a guaranteed span. The clock stops when it stops.

Why, when I'm feeling poorly do I say, "I feel so old?" Is it that I think my sadness or lack of vitality is how it *must* feel to be 70? 80? 90? And how could I possibly know?

Living near Houston (in, until a year plus ago), I often would see older individuals out, slamming fitness into the eyeballs of all who passed their way. Not intentionally, not for attention, so perhaps I should rephrase the above sentiment, but I recall thinking, "Good for you, dude/dudette!"

 Why? Is walking/running only for a select group of humans? Do we stop having hobbies once we turn 60 plus? Do we hermit ourselves away and knit, swear at kids on our lawn, and stare wistfully out of windows until the we shuffle off the earth to make room for toddlers disguised as 30 year olds who complain about how good our generation has it and how selfish we were to use up all of their resources?

I don't know. Maybe it's wise to shut up a lot more than I do.

Maybe when I'm feeling bad in the future, I'll bless someone instead.