Written by Alex Danielle Guerrero

Worn-out clothes. Fresh blooming flowers. Overgrown shoes. Children’s babbling. Tired, wrinkled eyes. No one lives in this world without encountering the polarity of old age and youth—concepts often presented through rigid dichotomy whether it be in movies, literature, and day-to-day life events. It cannot be avoided when these two concepts elicit contrasting reactions.

Almost everyone has feared the word “old” at some point in their lives. For all the generations that have passed, “old” has always been a world related to endings and loss. To be old is to have your once smooth, plump, and glowing face succumb to age and become deflated and wrinkled with sagging skin. To be old is to realize the days of having too much time in your hands have closed. Your feet and hands are now shackled by responsibilities that imprison you to the 9 to 5 grind, never-ending pile of work, and time-limited getaways that make you feel out of the 365 days, fun is only available for your 20 or so sick and holiday leaves. To be old is to accept the idea that your body will lose its strength and flexibility, your life span is constantly ticking, and it’s more than likely that you’ll be gone in this world earlier—and with more regrets—than anybody. To be old is to lose freshness and desirability and to become necessary for replacement. To be old is to be one step closer to an end: the end of beauty, freedom, and life—three things that are all related to happiness. 

It goes without saying that everyone is obsessed with delaying their various expiration dates. Anti-aging creams in all shapes, forms, and sizes have littered every corner of the world. Ideas and strategies to be spared from the 9 to 5 life have proliferated across all generations. There have been countless scientific ventures that figured out ways to maintain your strength longer than your age usually allows. 

In the midst of it all, being young—the opposite of old—has been glorified. To be young is to be beautiful. To be young is to be free and have the ability and opportunities to do whatever you want. To be young is to not be burdened by thoughts of your inevitable demise and regrets of what-could-have-been’s. Youth was put on the pedestal. In order to be happy and called successful in today’s society, you must own a house and car, be financially stable, and do something remarkable you can attach to your name—all under the age of 30. The innocence and ignorance youth entails are also considered a blessing. With them, the young get to keep their rose-colored glasses and remain unconscious of the cruelties of life—one of which is the said ephemeral quality of youth: it fades and no one has control over it. 

But youth is more than just having supple skin and extra time to spend on a gazillion new-found hobbies. To be young is to be still ignorant of the world with an insatiable curiosity. To be young is to be immature, imperfect and crude, and in need of further development. To be young is to feel happiness in the things you once enjoyed as a child—the little things such as the stars that dusted the night sky, the snack your mother prepared for you, or the small trinkets you collect as if they were bejeweled treasures. 

Likewise, getting old is more than just having stiff limbs and anxious thoughts about the limited time left in the hourglasses of our lives. To be old is to have a life lived with successes as well as failures, signs that you actually tried being the main character of your life instead of doing nothing. To be old is to grow and learn things you never knew—things that make you realize the could-have-been’s and should-have-not’s, the better track to take and the path to avoid. To be old is to feel contentment and pride that you were brave to have tried the things you’ve done and it’s alright if they were few. After all, every person will always find another one who outdid or will outdo them. Being the absolute best is impossible just as being the most beautiful person in the world.

Just like there is no absolute black-and-white in our world, youth and old age cannot be clearly separated. The young also age and older people remain child-like. There are youth that were prematurely subjected to things they should encounter when they’re older—feelings of grief, pain, and loss that immediately wake them up to the realities of the world.  There are also old people who remain curious and excited about themselves and their surroundings as life is a constant learning process and no one can be fully knowledgeable of all the things available in this world. Though such scenarios were brought to existence either with or without our control, the truth remains that solitary existence in the world is impossible. Youth and age co-exist. We live in both maturity and naivety just like how we live in both structure and chaos at the same time.

As the world always idealizes things that can never be, youth will continue to be glorified and the societal pressure to be successful under 30 will never be lifted. Even though the concept of aging will still be faced with apprehension and fear, people will still continue to get old. However, unlike the myth, one’s youth will never die. It’s impossible. As the world continues to spin and knowledge about everything is impossible to obtain, everyone still knows too little and is still too immature to know how they would live their lives. That’s why believe it or not, though we may age, everyone is bound to be young forever.