As I have provided advice in my blogs (take it or leave it, of course), it has been about the use of time (mortal/daily).  I then spotlighted a particular season of life -- our infancy -- and we examined it to see what kind of wisdom we could take away from it as far as time use choices in our present lives.  One thing that I brought forward is that in the present we need to spend time to honor, heal and/or build on the previous seasons of our lives.

I want to note that all human beings have pretty much the same HOPES of our FAITH.  We hope for peace, prosperity, health, love, etc.  When we act by planting, nourishing and harvesting the seeds of those hopes, that is faith.  Whatever way we are using our time is faith; and the way we use time (and matter/materials) indicates what (or whom) our faith is IN.

Like I said, I've discussed infancy.  Now I am going to think a little bit about a season of life at the other end of the spectrum.

I would like to predict (and I will take sole responsibility for my prediction) that we will see in society -- even within the next five to ten years -- that there is no such thing as old age, or at least it will have delayed a good fifty years.  'Youth' will be considered to last closer to the age of fifty, then middle age will last until our eighties, and no one will bow or bend until well past 125 years of age.

This will not be able to be attributed to better health habits or medical advances.  In fact, too many people will still die in their forties, fifties and sixties of cancer, heart disease, violence etc.

Rather -- people will just forget to age.  They won't see the point, and they won't do it.

The delay of aging has been occuring for some time actually.  At the turn of the 20th century, age 45 was the brink of old age.  Now most people do not hit their stride until they are that age and they imagine that they will be old when they get to be 85.  That is a 40 year difference that we as a society have awarded ourselves by mental power, and I don't attribute that difference to medical reasons per se either.  And in other words, just since the turn of the 20th century (100+ years) we have added at least one whole new season of life to the human potential.)

For both men and women, the delay of aging has wonderful implications for time use.  Instead of bearing children and then dying within five to twenty years after childbearing is over, women are now looking at over fifty years of YOUTH with which to do something with.  For men and women with careers, even if retiring by 65, leaves at least 25 YOUTHFUL years.  (And a trend that is slowly picking up momentum is to prepare oneself to retire between the ages of 30 and 45, but that is another blog.)

So if there is a lot of youth that is no longer required for childbearing and/or career -- what does that time now hold?

I think:  purpose; talents; charity.  What do you think this extra season of life should be for?

Tags: Faith Service Aging Hope Mortality Time

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