In today's
On Language column, William
Safire is taken to task for having referred to Harrison Ford, 64, as "middle-aged." A reader points out, "If he were literally middle-aged, then he could expect to live to 128." I'm reminded of my 36
th birthday, when my mother called with good wishes and to welcome me to middle-age, because the life expectancy for American men was 72. Like
Safire's reader, Mom's a realist that way.
Despite Mom's early start, I've only been referring to myself as "middle-aged" for about 3 or 4 years. However, my mom turns 67 today and it still doesn't quite feel right to refer to such an active, vibrant woman as "elderly" either. In his column,
Safire mulls "
pre-golden" and "
pre-elderly" for folks like Harrison Ford and my mother, but tosses them out in favor of "midlife". That doesn't quite feel right. Ford and my mother are not "
midlfe". My mom has two middle-aged children, worked for 30 years in the public school system, and lives in a house that she's paid off. That doesn't feel very "mid" anything.
My ex could technically request a senior discount ticket at the movies (although he rather die than ask), still, I'd call him "middle-aged". I guess we're all just kidding ourselves.
Labels: aging, William Safire