Letter to the Editor / ABOUT AGING

By Roger C. Kostmayer

Essayist, editor and screenwriter Arthur Krystal wrote an interesting article recently that appeared in The New Yorker magazine (November 4, 2019).  I’ve spent my life trying, without success, to keep up with the avalanche of New Yorker magazines, but I was on a flight and the article asked me “Why can’t we tell the truth about aging?”  The word truth was more of a lure than the word aging.

The piece is well written, knowledgeable about writers and there are references to an impressive array of authors and philosophers.  But best of all are the amusing parts that, in my mind, is the best way to understand and deal with aging. Rodney Dangerfield, a lesser known philosopher who died just short of 83, allegedly studied the relationship between sexuality and longevity.  He said: “Food has now taken the place of sex in my life. In fact, I’ve just installed a large mirror above my dinner table.” Wonderful.

Who among us hasn’t been guilty of, as Montaigne said, applauding the past and condemning the present?  The author points out that we (in our 60’s, 70’s and 80’s) may say we’re happier now than when we were age 20 or 40 (and I do), but we probably feel a lot worse physically today than we did then.  I share Simone de Beauvoir’s belief that we should continue giving – specifically, giving meaning to existence. The best way to do that is by devoting ourselves to individuals, groups and causes – and to creative work.  Doesn’t that make sense?

If you come across the recent issue of The New Yorker, you’ll probably get more from the article than I did, and it’s both interesting and provocative.  And you also may feel a tinge of pride when you realize that this good article could never have been written by a young author.

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