Time Has Passed – Our Heroes Have Aged
April 19, 2022 – Views expressed in Bob’s Blog are solely that of the author and do not purport to reflect the views or opinions of the CAC Office on Aging or its staff.
Recently I saw a news report about Phil Collins on television. In it, the reporter mentioned how Phil has to sit down during his concerts now. He is no longer able to stand as he sings.
As I thought about that, I realized, the image I had of Phil Collins was one I have had from back in the 80s. He was full of life then.
The image I have of him is frozen in time. While I have aged, in my mind, Phil has not aged. There I still picture him the same way never imagining he was growing old just as I was.
What a Downer That Was for Me!!!
Phil could not age. He had no right to. He could not become fragile and not be able to perform as he had when he was young.
Phil was born on January 30, 1951. As I write this in 2022, he is 71 years old. He looks like a 71-year-old man. He no longer is as vibrant as he once was.
That led me to think about other singers, rock musicians, and movie stars and their impact on me when I was younger. In my mind, I still picture them the way they looked years ago. None have aged. They all are frozen in time.
The Sad Reality is They All Have Age
They no longer look like they did way back then.
Here are some examples:
Denzel Washington. He was born on December 28, 1954. Now he is 67 years old. I picture him the way he looked in his late 30s and early 40s. He no longer looks that way.
Halle Berry was born on August 14, 1966. In my mind, I see her as a 35- to a 40-year-old woman – not the 55-year-old woman she is today.
Then there is Harrison Ford. I still see him as Han Solo in Star Wars and Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Do you know he was born on July 13, 1942? That makes him 79 years old.
Another one who is 79 is Paul McCartney. He was born on June 18, 1942. Paul, you can’t be that old. Tell me Wikipedia is wrong.
I was surprised when I saw this one. Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954. Today she is 68 years old. Oprah, can you really be that old?
Then there is James Earl Jones. His voice still rings in my ears. He was older when I first became aware of him. Surprisingly he was born on January 17, 1931, and at 91 today he is much older than I thought.
Here in East Tennessee, Dolly Parton is our queen. All of us see her fairly regularly. Most don’t realize she is 76 years old and was born on January 19, 1946. She is one of the few who doesn’t look her age.
Would you believe it if I told you Neil Diamond was born on January 24, 1941, and is 81 years old? Come on Neil, that can’t be correct!!!
Another great is Diana Ross. I grew up listening to her and the Supremes. When I checked her age, I was startled. Today she is 78 and was born on March 26, 1944. You probably have watched Blackish on television. One of the stars of that series is Tracee Ellis Ross. Tracee is Diana’s daughter and is even older than I picture Diana Ross to be. She was born on October 29, 1972, and is 49.
Mick Jagger continues to perform. He was born on July 26, 1943, and is 78. Where does he get his energy?
I can’t overlook Rock and Roll’s first great Wildman, Jerry Lee Lewis. We haven’t heard much about him lately. However, he still is great. Jerry was born on September 29, 1935. Today he is 86.
What about Robert Redford, the great actor? He was born on August 18, 1936, and is 85.
Some of the Other Greats . . .
. . . and their ages:
- Bob Dylan – May 24, 1941 – 80 years old
- Morgan Freeman – June 1, 1937 – 84 years old
- Ringo Starr – July 7, 1940 – 81 years old
- Stevie Wonder – May 13, 1950 – 71 years old
- Smokey Robinson – February 19, 1940 – 82 years old
- Willie Nelson – April 29, 1933 – 88 years old
- Frankie Valli – May 3, 1934 – 87 years old
- Tina Turner – 11/26/39 – 82 years old
- Brian Wilson – June 20, 1942 – 79 years old
- Phylicia Rashad – June 19, 1948 – 73 years old
- Paul Simon – October 13, 1941 – 80 years old
Are You Just Like Me?
Do you still picture those people you have admired all of your life as they were when they were younger?
As you sit there reading this, you may be sitting there feeling sorry for yourself. You don’t know where all the years are gone. You may regret you no longer look as good as you did when you were young. You may hate that you walk more slowly and are not as physically active as you once were.
Stop – Don’t Put Yourself Down
Don’t be thinking about those people you admired earlier in life and don’t say you can’t measure up to them. They all have aged. They no longer look the same way as you picture them in your mind.
They probably have most of the same physical problems you do. Some may have more.
Believe it or not – you may look better and be in better shape than many of them.
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If you have any comments on what you have read in this post, I would love to get them. Please email them to me. Also – if you have any ideas about subjects you would like to see discussed in future posts, please send me an email and let me know. My email address is bob.ooablog@gmail.com.