Value of Age

Value of Age

Age is something so special, and unique, that its value cannot be transferred into numbers. Its price is underestimated by most of the people, most of their lives. At the brink of leaving this world, we realize how careful, should we be, when we plan our time. Eventually, it is the time that leaves us wondering what we have done with our lives. Sometimes it shows us exactly how not to deal with the opportunities we are given.

The factor of today’s world which plays the most important role is money. Why money? If we do, or do not like money, it is the only source of paying taxes and basic needs. The latest researches show, that not only discrimination of women is a world-wide known negative phenomenon but also age discrimination, which is quite a modern concept. The statistics show that firms, companies or smaller employers prefer employing a young worker to an older, one.

This is reasoned mostly by the working force, and effectiveness of younger workers, and their determination to climb the company ladder with creative thinking and modernization. What is surprising is that the rate of employment of older people decreases, even though they are the ones who are the wells of knowledge and most importantly, experience. Although this is not information that is relevant for every country, or branch of work, in some work places older people are still said to be highly respected.

What I find very interesting and useful for my witty mind. Is that in Slovak language, word age comes with several meanings. The next option, which comes to my mind whenever I hear this word, is era. I fell in love with the era, which is best described by the sounds of jazz floating through the air while mixing with the traffic jam that is so typical for Big Apple. Short skirts, first cigarettes in the mouths of women desperate to fight for their rights.

That is the era of the Roaring Twenties. The value of this age rests upon the new things, which could be seen for the first times in these years. The parties that took place during the roaring twenties will undoubtedly never be forgotten. Unfortunately only few have lived up to now, so the atmosphere of that age slowly vanishes. But like always, a dim cloud darkened the sky over this era, inflation, the fall of Wall Street, I suppose it is true that everything has its pros and cons, even time.

I tend to end up my maturita exam speeches with pointing out something bad, and then conclude my answer. This time, as I always try to evade stereotypes, I will make a different approach.

What enlightens my days, and helps me to remember the value of age, not depending on its meaning are Mark Twains words of wisdom, which say: “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.” Age class, age group, not even age limits should play a role in someone’s life. The value of age can be expressed through its currency.

Memories are what expresses how fortunate we are, if we take the bull by the horns. The irony is that our age causes are memories to float away from our minds, but I have never experienced a better feeling than suddenly remembering a memory that will never stop to take my breath away.