Age

On the weekend evening, I sat with my old classmates at an outdoor food stall when a waitress said to us (not my classmate's son!), "Hey, young boys, anything to order?"

What are we supposed to feel about her remark? Must we see it as lip service? Or do we quietly congratulate ourselves for appearing young? Would it be terribly stupid to grow old and yet acknowledge we remain young?

Absurd as it might seem to you, that depends upon how you define "young." One thing is for sure: we are living longer. Centenarians, who were encountered at a frequency of an appearance of Halley's comet, are now everywhere. Numerous countries have raised retirement ages by as much as five years.

Indeed, an unprecedented increase of the "oldest old" has simply pushed the definition of "old" farther. Imagine my medical student addressing a 55-year-old patient "senior citizen" when his 96-year-old granny has just come to visit him.

It might not be accurate to call me "young boy", but neither is it appropriate to call anyone older than your dad an "old guy."