Act Your Age: Wisdom Is Beauty
By Lana Moline
There are a slew of commercials geared toward recapturing our youth. Sometimes the messages are overt but most often they are hidden in the imagery. I ask myself sometimes as I watch television who the target audience is as soon as the advertisements begin to roll. I suppose appealing to the desire in most people to remain active and alive equates sometimes to youth and that bothers me somewhat. Sure, I am the first person to support health and enjoyment in life which is the premise that most of these message fall under. However, the part of it that I have a problem with is that it somehow diminishes the honor of maturing and authenticity. I recognize that perhaps this approach is what sells but the message that it sends is one that repeatedly perpetuates juvenile behavior and a society of adult followers.
If we examine the world as a whole before internet and rapid changing technology, we may remember the honor in ritualistic family tradition. Girls couldn’t wait to turn 13 because maybe their parents would allow them to wear lip gloss. Boys couldn’t wait to turn 16 because then they would learn how to drive. Eighteen was a big deal because some teens were officially permitted to date and we all know what 21 is equated to in this country. However somewhere along the way 40 became the new 30 and 30 became the new 20 and so on. With this, the sense of duty to give, show and command a regal respect of wisdom is lost.
What this ultimately means in today’s society is that the line of progression is receding and the natural order of human growth and development is confused and that is unfortunate. Personally, there is nothing more beautiful than gaining insight into wisdom that I have yet to possess. I absolutely love to listen to elders who have gone through and conquered some of the things that I am facing as a woman, mother and wife. That simply makes my life easier because it gives me a key to the next phase of my journey. It is crucial to our existence that elders relish in the knowledge that they have gained and embrace what that means for others who look to them for guidance. When this happens as it should it confirms that God will direct my path the same way He directs others.
I Corinthians 13:11 – When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Lana Moline is an integral part of the Blackloveandmarriage.com writing team, freelance writer and poet who lives in Ft. Worth with her three kids and husband Emile. Married 11 years, both media professionals have vowed to maintain integrity in all aspects of print and broadcast journalism.Visit her atLana Moline Speaks.
this was right on point. I thought the exact thing when i first heard 30 is the new 20. No…respect your age and realize that there's value and wisdom that comes with it. Thank you Lana for lifting this up