Youth of Old Age ( #AtoZChallenge )

        
     You've undoubtedly heard the expression about someone going through their second childhood.  Well if a second childhood would be as good as my first one then I say bring it on! 


















Youth of Old Age


         When I was in my teens and twenties, ages beyond thirty seemed kind of old to me and the age where I am now seemed downright ancient.  Yet, now, nearing seventy, I don't really feel much older than the twenty-something guy I once was. Apparently I look older than I think I do, but I've been looking at this mortal frame on a daily basis for seven decades and the daily changes have been imperceptible to me. 

          If fifty is "the youth of old age" then where am I now?  The middle age of old age?  Or perhaps if I live beyond 100 years then I might still be in my youth of old age.  My mind resists as my body often reminds me that I'm not a kid anymore.  Physically I seem to have all sorts of limitations, but mentally I might be any age I want to think I am. 

        Age is not only relative, but it is also in the eyes of the beholder.  I hear voices inside my head telling me that I'm still young and have many years left while from without I get the implications that I am a senior citizen--not like a senior in high school, but an old codger, an outdated relic of the past.  I don't feel old, but there are indications all about me that I am old.

       Well, dag-nab it, I ain't settlin' to be old any time soon unless it works to my advantage and in that case, okay, I'm old, now give me my damn senior citizen discount!

         What age would you consider to be old?   As you get older do you tend to leave certain dreams behind you?   Do you think you "act your age"? 

The Good, the Bad, and the Perception

   
    There are many good things in the world.  There are also bad things.  Then there is how each of us perceives either of the extremes.  I tend to be the optimist--the glass half full guy.  When somebody says "not possible" I might be apt to counter with "what if" or "maybe there's a way".

         I suppose there's a childlike way I view the world sometimes.  Sure, as some of you may have noticed in my blog posts, I can tend to appear pragmatic in my thinking at times, perhaps almost to the point of being too rigidly realistic or literal about some things.  I like to be cautious in my approach to many thoughts and deeds, but I can be a dreamer to the point of the ridiculous.

        It's probably much to do with upbringing--perhaps everything.   My mother was a storyteller and my father liked to dream big.  We always seemed to be looking toward the horizon for the next new thing, the adventure of what we could imagine.

        Then I think of a friend of mine who tends to look at the negative side of life much of the time.   I didn't know his parents very well, but in my experience with them his father seemed to be a rather grumpy fellow.  You could say it was a nice day and for him it was too hot, too cold, or not a perfect day in some way.  My friend's mother conversely was a cheery lady who seemed to be lost in a happy world of her own mind.

         My friend--the by-product of two different personalities--is now a slightly happier-seeming version of his old man.   But maybe I see it this way because my friend is my long-time friend and I never really knew his father.  Perhaps if his father had been my friend I would have had a whole different perception of the guy.

        Life is what we make it based on how we perceive it.   If we've got something to look forward to then we keep at it.   I don't ever want to be the kind of person who plops down in hopelessness and gives up.  Life is too rich.

        Recently I met a very cool guy who is a member of a writer's group I joined a year ago.   At 90 years of age Jack Eiden is ready for the next 100 years.  He's got two epic novels in the closing stages and will be shopping these around soon.   He published a novelette in 2000 and learned how to build his own website so he could promote that book. 

         Lately Jack and I have been putting together a blog for our writers group.   I encourage you to stop by the Writers Workshop West blog and take a look around.   It's currently still a work in progress that needs to be taken before the membership before we finalize how we will proceed with it.  If you would, please stop in and leave a comment on any post so our membership can see the potential of blog interaction and networking.  This will be a new concept for many of these writers.

         In developing this blog, Jack became inspired to start his own blog in preparation for expanding his platform and to eventually be able to showcase his upcoming books.   I hope you will take some time to drop by the blog of Jack Eiden Author Relapsed and provide him some encouragement.   Become a follower of his blog and welcome him into our blogging community. 

           Are you a member of a local writers group?   Does the group have a blog or a website?   Have you encouraged others to start a blog?

           Again, please visit these sites, Writers Workshop West and Author Relapsed, to welcome them to the world of blogging and encourage them in their endeavors.   Thank you all!
 

        

Related articles

• Perception is reality????
• My Perception
• Perception vs. Reality: Which Will Win?

How Do You Perceive Value?

Image by digitalmoneyworld via Flickr

          A recent article by Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times Business section was telling about the struggles of the greeting card industry to maintain relevancy when facing the competition of the internet age.  In the article, Susan January, president of the Greeting Card Association is quoted as saying, "As better products have become available people are more aware how certain embellishments, like gold foil and embroidery, increase the perceived value of the card and the perceived value of their relationship."


           Now, I've heard the term "perceived value" before but never gave it much thought until reading it within the context of this article.  Perceived value is the subjective worth that we place on something according to our own needs or wants.  The perceived value of an item might be artificially created by the marketing agent as in the case of luxury items or new products. Perception of value may also be influenced by availability and is the motivating way the law of supply and demand can increase or decrease prices.


           Perceived value can be dictated by the influences of the marketplace or it can be all in our minds.  When much revered technological innovation comes on the market, some people may wait in line to pay premium prices to be the first to have it in hand even though they know it will most likely be available at reduced prices later down the road.  Part of their perception of value includes the prestige of being the first to own a product and their strong desire to have it in their hands now rather than later.


         If gold were no longer perceived as valuable as backing for monetary systems or for jewelry and valued only in the context of its practical use in industry, the price of gold would undoubtedly plummet since it would no longer be coveted as something of extreme worth and prestige in ownership.


         The collectible market works in much the same way.  Certain things will gain a reputation of having a high potential of future worth and collectors will jump on board to pay premium prices.  We see past fads such as beanie babies or Hummel figurines where prices soared for a while and then dropped to ridiculously low prices leaving the investors unable to get any return on the money they put into their collections.  The marketplace will be influenced by economy and changing interests among other things.


         Artificial market manipulation is the mainstay of companies like the Franklin Mint.  Such purveyors of collectible merchandise entice speculative customers with advertising that suggests that whatever it is they are offering may increase in value eventually.  They don't make promises (read the small print), but in the minds of certain ones of us who are lured by the advertising, we want to believe that we are investing in an attractive item that might one day hold great value.  And I won't knock anyone for that--I've bought some of those things myself because I liked them and I wanted to believe I was making an investment in something of collectible value.


         However, I am straying from the real point that I want to make here--the thoughts that came to my mind as I began to contemplate the concept of perceived value.  As I pondered this concept, I began to think of perceived value as it applies to that which is not an item of merchandise or a service. What about the perceived value of friendships and interpersonal relationships, personal tastes and artistic evaluations, or accolades and kind words?


         It's a certainty that the topic I'm touching upon here could become quite lengthy if it were to be examined in its totality, so I'll focus on one aspect and then allow you to take it in your own direction.  


          For my part, I'll consider blog posts and blog comments (and I hope this is not becoming a redundant topic).  I make an attempt to produce some degree of quality in my posts and in my comments.  Even when I think I am going to quickly hash out something short, I will often get carried away and will write more than I had set out to do (this post for example).  When I comment, I try to leave something of substance.  I want my words to have more value than something I just slapped down to be saying something. I value my words.


         And now I'll toss the topic to you:  What do you attach value to and how do you perceive value?   What makes certain people valuable to you?   Why do you have certain passions or interests?    Excluding some of the obvious answers like those related to God, family, country,  or pets and the like; what are some tangible things that are valuable to you?

          Please visit my memoir blog Wrote By Rote.  Teresa from Journaling Woman is my guest and she has a special giveaway offer.  

Related articles

• Influence of Buyer Perceived Value (BPV) on Buyer Behavior and Decisions (customerthink.com)
• Our Greatest Need (spurgeon.wordpress.com)
• In-store displays: How do consumers perceive pricing? (sciencedaily.com)
• In-store displays: How do consumers perceive pricing? (eurekalert.org)
• Perceived value (outonimportantbusiness.wordpress.com)
• High prices, nervous times start modern-day gold rush (heraldnet.com)
• Why is gold still such an important influence on world finances (wiki.answers.com)
• How The Uncertain Economy Is Changing The Definition Of Luxury (forbes.com)
• The Franklin Mint Launches a New Website (prweb.com)