Age

They say age is just a number. But I disagree.

If age is just a number, and you can be young at heart so age does not matter, then ape cerita kedut2 bawah mata ni, or ur metabolism slowing down rapidly, or you getting sakit kaki and backache after a long day, or u forgetting more easily and need more time to recall things?? Haaa, jawab jawab!

On a more serious note.

Age is not just a number. Because with age comes experience. And with experience comes lessons. And with lessons come wisdom. (Or 'wisdom' of some sort!)

The age-old question: What is the meaning of life? If you asked me this at 23, I would have given you some crappy narcissistic answer which all revolves around ME, ME and more ME. But after several life-turning experience, at 26 (going on 27) I realised Life is something Beyond You. And Life is Unpredictable (they say life is like the Mistress, she is unpredictable and her mood-swings can create havoc to all balance and order that you hold dear!)...You just have to stop, look around and ponder...to realise how bewildering Life is. And no matter how in control you think you are, or you want to be, you can NEVER ever control Life. And also somehow, in some way, all of us are inextricably linked together in this whole fabric of Life.

There is much to be said about maturity. It is not something you can see from the surface. It is not something physical. Even if you look 30 although you are only 21, it does not mean you are matured! (Here in the U.K I often get mistaken as a 19 year old because of the physicality)...I have many friends here who are so much younger than me. And although when we are together people can seldom see the difference in age, but when you talk to them you just know they are younger. It's their outlook towards Life and towards so many things in general. It's in the way they talk. It's in the way they behave in relation to other people. It is in the way they seldom see the bigger picture. When I am with them, I have to humour them, and tell myself it's because they lack life experience (I also have a way of always appearing more stupid or helpless than I really am so that people don't feel the gap! It's a skill I've developed over the years). I also have friends who are more or less my age, or older. And it is just so much easier to connect with them at an emotional and mental level. They just seem to "Get It" (it's difficult to explain)...I came to this realisation about the connection of all this with age is because usually after getting to know these ppl for some time, only then you know their age...then you go (in your head) "Ooooh, no wonder. Patut lah".

Another important thing. Life and Age, it changes you. You are never the same person that you were 5 years ago. Or 3 years ago. Or even a year ago. External influence (your life experience) and internal influence (how you react internally to those experience) keep moulding you and you realised that I am just not the same person anymore! Sometimes you feel that this is bad (Oh I used to be so carefree, so optimistic and passionate about the future) but actually this is often for the better. Because u wake up and realise that you are more at "one" with yourself. You are more in touch with your feelings, of who you are. But more importantly, you are more in touch with other people in your life, or other people around you, because you have more sympathy, empathy and understanding towards others compared to when you were younger...

This is what I want to say to Aliza of yesteryears. "Of course you have more youth and beauty than me, but I can always strive to have more of those too. If I sing more and laugh more, my heart will be more youthful. If I take care of myself more, have a healthier lifestyle, or even have cosmetic surgery (haha), I will be more beautiful. But no matter what you do in this world, or how hard you try, I will always have something more than you...and that is my Age!"

:D