The meaning of age

June 24, 2010 4:47pm CST
Although I am not a philosophy writer, I am always fascinated by concepts that appear to never really result in a definite conclusion. The only time I made any sense out of why it is we have birthdays for instance to identify us by our biological age, is when I studied for a degree in Roman history. I just about understood how it was that Julius Caesar had made the month of July, a new addition to the roman calendar, so accounted for a 12 month cycle that could easily have expanded even after the fall of the Roman Empire but never did. Like many people, I loathe having an age to my life the more that I have gotten older, but is there anything we can do to eliminate it? I can see the importance of having an age and why birthdays are celebrated, but then you become defined by numbers more so than by anything else, employers always make a decision of whether you are a suitable candidate for a post above most other facets; doctors require your age so that they can keep a medical profile. It's just when you don't want the whole world knowing about how old you are that it becomes a burden you just want to erase that number from your life but can't, you feel as if sometimes nothing else about who you are is visible - just your age. I don't mind revealing my age as long as it is my choice to do so, but when you have to announce your date of birth whilst making an appointment over the phone to see a doctor or have it boldly printed on a prescription, you just want to tear it up and pretend that the event never happened!. I'm proud of my achievements over the years, but in many ways still have a lot more to do, you feel that society is going to stop you because you are no longer 21.
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