CARLTON FLETCHER: Why fight? Time has its way with us all

“Yes, a young man is the king of ev’ry kingdom that he sees. But there’s an old and feeble man not far behind, Oh that surely will catch up to him Somewhere along the line.”

— Billy Joel

I watched an elderly couple walking in a crowded area recently, moving slowly as it was obvious they weren’t physically able to do otherwise.

I watched them with a mixture of sadness and admiration. That they continued to live their lives independently, despite the physical hardships they obviously endured, brought to mind the strength of will that many of their generation exhibit without so much as a thought.

But the longer I watched, the more I noticed people rushing past them, looks of aggravation on their faces. Some even bumped into the couple in their desire to hurry on to their important meetings, and not one person slowed down enough to even offer an apology. One of these self-important goons almost knocked the lady to the ground as he danced his way around her, bumping her hard enough to make her stumble.

It was a shameful display.

Since that day, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about aging in America. Somehow, as we’ve settled into this new age of hysterical gender identity, sexual identity and racial identity, it’s become a social faux pas to age. Unlike the Asian or the Native American cultures, which revered the elderly for their wisdom, we have become a youth-obsessed society that “blames” the elderly for having the audacity to get older.

Reverence is a non-starter; contempt is more the norm now. It’s these old people who are putting a drain on our health care and our social services, up-and-at-’em Americans now insist. They’re not interested in the wisdom that comes with age. They don’t want to hear those boring stories from back in the day. As a matter of fact, they don’t even want to see old people out in public.

Here’s the reason why: These self-absorbed younger generations have conned themselves into believing that they are going to be the world’s Peter Pans. They’re going to live forever and never do anything so gross as to get old. Seeing the elderly is off-putting because it erodes their self-delusion.

You want to make a ton of money in America today? Market a product that promises “anti-aging” or “youthful vitality.” Doesn’t really matter if what you have is actually snake oil; just the promise of eternal youth is enough to get you into people’s pocketbooks.

I don’t fault anybody for taking actions or using products that make them feel healthier or at least feel better about themselves. But these freaks (“Darcy and Stacy” anyone?) who take such extreme measures to radically alter their physical appearance — including surgical enhancement procedures and injections that make them look like clowns — in a useless attempt to look younger, and thus, in their minds, more appealing, are usually doing nothing more than turning themselves into laughingstocks.

Sorry, girls, when you suddenly have chests that reach a destination a couple of minutes before you do, you have those freaky-looking “duck lips” that bring to mind the south end of a northbound baboon, your hair has been so colored and tinted by “product” that it looks something like broomstraw, and your facial muscles are so botoxed you can’t even smile … well, let’s just say if you were going for hot, young thing, you missed the mark.

You aging baby boomers and their adult children: Here’s an idea. Really cheese off these people who think anyone who’s surpassed the age of 45 without getting “work done” is gross. Age gracefully. Sure, look your best, but don’t bend to this obsession of trying to prove to people who know better that you’re younger than you are. Wear your years, your scars, your victories and your losses proudly.

You have earned every one of those gray hairs, those wrinkles, and, yes, even those little aches and pains that make getting out of bed in the morning something of an ordeal.

As for those cretins who refuse to offer the respect you have earned over the years, just ignore them. Because no matter how hard they fight and how easily they’ve fooled themselves into believing they’re “forever young,” know that time, with its eternal passage, has its way with us all.