Is age really nothing but a number?

Age is the length of time that a person or thing has existed. It is no doubt one of the stages of life and is a continuous process that begins from birth and ends at death. Some people are of the believe that age is nothing but just a number and therefore a person should live his\her life to the fullest regardless of his age while others argue that with age comes responsibility. Different respondents gave their views on the issue.
Fatima Waziri, a businesswoman, said: “I don’t believe that age is nothing but a number. A person’s true age is not just the number of years the person has lived. It includes characteristics such as health, personal and social responsibilities. With age comes maturity. The older one becomes, the more responsible he is expected to be. Most irresponsible people misbehave and hide behind the notion that age is just a number. For one to be respected, personally I feel the person has to respect his\her age first and behave in an orderly manner so other people can reciprocate the respect. People who think that age is just a number should better face the reality and accept it as it is.”
Sixty-year-old Professor Jafar Ahmad says the belief that age is nothing but a number is a self-serving, reality-numbing piece of pop culture that some people foist on themselves: “The sad part is that so many of us buy into this piece of nonsense. It seems we are grabbing onto a feeling of youth at any cost simply because we see youth as better. By the time we hit our late 40s and start moving through our 60s, we would have put some mileage on our vision of life. Life has happened and more often than not, it certainly has not been the game we planned to play. As time passes by and we age, hopefully, we have learned that life only defeats us if we allow it to. We get wiser, more resilient and understanding. With age come wisdom, courage, humility, patience, laughter and compassion.”
Olivia Tarfa, a 21-year-old student said for her, age is really not a big deal: “There are people that behave older than their age. They are very intelligent, smart and bold. This means an adult doesn’t have to be someone that can stand. Anyone that can take the stage with point and experience is always good to go. Age isn’t all about being just a number, for instance, in a marriage, some people find older men as better choice because they feel aside from their age they are simple, patient, and easy going. These are some attributes related to older men when it comes to marital aspect. Obviously, age is way more than being just a number.”
Ibrahim Abdullahi, father of two, says he hates when people say age is just a number and advises people who think this way to have a rethink: “I think we define the number based on our personal experiences and personifications. But there are boundaries because we do not get to define anything but our own perspectives. Personally, I think age and experience go together. However, that doesn’t mean that anyone older than anyone else is more mature or more experienced.”
Twenty-four-year-old Monica Yusuf says looked at from a different angle, age has much more to do with and therefore we can’t say it is just a number: “I have seen countless people who go about doing things that are uncalled for and when asked why they behave in such manner, the answer is ‘age is just a number’. I feel irritated each time I see someone old enough to be a father or mother acting like a teenager. I have a neighbour who has five children yet he still dresses like an 18-year-old, goes to club every weekend and smokes cigarettes in the presence of his children. Each time someone tries to talk some sense into him, he says that even though he has children, he feels young and therefore no one can stop him from living his life. It is just sad how some people behave and think nowadays.”
It is interesting to know that some people actually do believe that age is nothing but just a number. Whatever the case may be, there is no right or wrong as everyone is entitled to his\her opinion.
Rukayya Habibi, a third year student said: “I agree age is just a number because in many cases I have witnessed in life, age has benefited people nothing since they cannot think or act their age, while much younger people have acted in more mature ways.”
Rebecca Donald, a beautician, says it is very true that age is just a number and shouldn’t be seen as a barrier whatsoever: “I live my life and do things the way I want to because I don’t feel intimidated by my age. I might be old but that isn’t reason enough to stop me from doing things that make me happy. I can vividly remember the first day I bought skinny jeans and I wore it to show my husband, the first thing that came out of his mouth was aren’t you too old for that. Honestly, I took that statement personal, why shouldn’t I wear what makes me look good. So people like me should be wearing wrappers or buba just because I have grandchildren? I feel young at heart and so I see no reason why I shouldn’t blend with trends.”