It was a piece of paper that normally wouldn't have captured my attention, except for the one detail that didn't escape notice. It was a letter inviting entrants to a concerto competition. I was receiving it only because I was a contact person for the music festival and my task was to simply pass the information along to piano teachers in the area. What annoyed me after reading the letter was the age limit the contest had imposed. The age restriction was perfectly reasonable and acceptable since it was within the scope of provincial and national mandates but I was still taken aback when reading that the maximum age a competitor could be was 25.
Now you have to understand there was no musical scenario in which I ever could have entertained the notion of competing but I was still somewhat miffed that it wasn't musical ability, or lack thereof, that would be reason for exclusion but simply age alone. What about the musician whose development was hampered at one stage but who later on was given time, opportunity and teaching that would prepare them for a performance at this level? Hopefully there are programs and places that would allow for a 26-year old, a 45 year-old or 58-year old to meet and perform those concertos knowing the only questions to be asked would be regarding the quality of the performance and not the age of the performer.
It's not terribly surprising though since we often use age as identifying criteria. Restaurants provide portions and prices for different ages, and the same goes for movie tickets. We have established guidelines based on age by which someone can drive a car or vote or move into certain housing developments. Age is an important factor in determining where we fit in, what benefits we may be entitled to and what new things we can do. At least that's how it feels as we are growing up since we see each new year as bringing exciting opportunities. But at some point we start seeing age as more limiting. We begin to question the reasonableness of someone taking on new challenges or embarking on different ventures once certain ages are reached. This is truly unfortunate and it denies a reality that we need to remember and embrace; that we are meant to keep learning and growing, that we always should be striving to be moving forwarddefiantly understanding that idling in neutral is not an acceptable state of being.
At no time should we allow a number on the timeline determine what we should or shouldn't attempt. Noriaki Kasai is a Japanese ski jumper who began competing on the World Cup circuit in 1989. For twenty-five years, and as he continually watched his colleagues retire from the sport, Kasai kept going. At 41and against competitors 10 and 20 years younger he landed a jump worthy of securing a silver medal in Sochi. He says he is not finished but has plans to compete at the 2018 games. Every story about him does more than merely make mention of his age, it becomes the focal point, even more so than the world class jumps he put down.
To be sure, there are immutable realities that occur as a person gets older. Changes in family, career, health and finances as someone moves through each decade of life are profound. We have input into some of these while others are transitions we find ourselves required to face. The way we deal with each one will serve to define what that decade will be about. The health of our bodies and our brains will play a significant role but our attitude toward age never should. Because at 41 someone might be able to accomplish what they never could at 21, and at 75 someone may just be hitting their stride in a venture they finally had the opportunity to pursue. We tend to think certain birthdays and milestones are markers that indicate someone is past the point of making things attainable. But think of what would be lost if some individuals let their age determine they were too old to chase a dream. Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the "Little House" books was first published at the age of 64. Nelson Mandela was elected president of Â鶹ÊÓƵ Africa in his mid-70s. At age 52 and despite health obstacles, Ray Kroc set out to establish the McDonald's brand.
The point is we shouldn't see a 40-year old athlete, 50-year old entrepreneur, 60-year old first time novelist, or 70-year old national leader as something belonging in the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, but as simply another day at the office. We need to put the engines of our lives in the "D" position and let the pursuit of our dreams be the driving force, not the digits on our license. That's my outlook.
