There’s no one age at which we’re all old

Glen J. Gillette, Las Vegas

Friday, April 18, 2008 | 2:03 a.m.

I feel compelled to answer the Saturday letter from Richard J. Mundy, headlined “Early 70s is old by any standard,” particularly because he asks a question of me: “At what point would Mr. Gillette say a person is old?”

“Old” does not happen at any particular chronological age. Some people are old at 30, while others at advanced ages seem to have perpetual youth. Mr. Mundy would have us believe that “old” happens magically at age 60. He seems to write off anyone past that age as being unproductive and useless to society.

In that regard Pope Benedict XVI would be unproductive, as would several members of Congress. If the members of Congress are unproductive, it isn’t because of their ages. Consider many of the world leaders who are past that age.

Mr. Mundy states, “Ask someone in his 70s (like me) whether he feels old, and you will most likely get a universal yes. We have aches and pains, forget things and are just not the people we used to be.”

I, too, am in my 70s. My body has slowed down, but my mind is as keen and alert as it ever was. My brain cells didn’t magically stop working when I reached 60, nor have they yet.

So I do not wish to exclude people of any age from being productive members of society, and I am not ready to write them off, including John McCain.