Kids can’t wait to be grown-up. And who can blame them? They see older folk seemingly enjoying themselves, without having to carry books to school, worry about homework or answer tough questions in front of a class that is waiting to burst into laughter at the slightest mistake. 

“What is your favorite age?”, a 7-year-old asked the surprised Steve Harvey on the ‘Little Big Shots’ show.

A good question to reflect on! After stumbling along through life thinking that the best is yet to come, one suddenly realises that life’s best moments may have actually slipped by! After all, ‘favorable age’ is related to these special moments, however fleeting they may be.

Even if school was sheer drudgery for me, it was the travel to school and back that was quite blissful. My sister Jean, would plonk me on her bicycle’s carrier and then furiously pedal up and down Bangalore’s roads to get to school on time! It was the 70s, and traffic could never be used as an excuse for lateness! Most of the time, I would doze off and wake up only when we landed at school with a thud. She always said that brake failure was the cause, though I suspect she never really used them!

A few years later, going to school every morning, but this time with my two favourite brothers, Conrad and Presley, was a time of bonding. Conrad, the firstborn, was naturally strong, so carrying two of us lightweights on his beautiful Raleigh bicycle must have been a breeze. Add that to the fun of cycling, using the ‘3-speed Sturmey Archer’ gears on the up-slopes! Though we often could hear him grinding his teeth and muttering swear words, I have reason to believe (and Presley will probably agree) that this period must rate as Conrad’s all-time favourite in his life.

The teenage years can be turbulent and fascinating as well. My dear sister Sheila spent most of her teenage years in front of the mirror, looking for non-existent pimples. What could be more satisfying than getting through adolescence with a blemishless face?

Almost everyone goes through the feelings of elation and happiness that come with the first job, the first salary, the first marriage. That entire 20s to 40s age is really exciting. Don’t you think?

Kids bring in a complete change in lifestyle and usher in a very busy period! So busy, that before one realises it was indeed a great time for the entire family, the kids have flown and the nest feels empty. Meanwhile, another twenty happy years just slipped by!

So what’s your favorite age?

Reflecting on what actually makes for a favourable age, brought me to realise that maybe it really isn’t about the physical age itself or even the stages that we classify life into. Going by the challenges that we all face, and the funny, nostalgic moments that invariably come from these situations, I guess my favorite age would actually span life itself.

Why would I think otherwise when, at the age of 60, I have my garden of Eden to work in, my Eve for companionship and quite a few snakes around to keep me aware of life’s fragility!

Yeah, I’m thanking God for every living moment!

Philip Peter