Going Public with my Age

peace symbolConfession

I am 61 years old. There, I’ve said it.

The Good

This means that I grew up in the ’60s. The music that I listened to in high school, my music, is now considered “classic” rock and is still being played today. We didn’t invent drugs, but we took their use to whole new level. And we also discovered that our parents and the authorities were wrong – smoking marijuana did not automatically lead to heroin addiction. We didn’t invent sex, but again, we took its use to whole new level. We didn’t invent being anti-war but we took its meaning to whole new level.

There are many things for which I am grateful that I was born in 1951.

The Bad

I’ve been telling people my true age for a while but I’ve never put it out on the Internet before.

Why? Fear.

Anything that is written on the Internet gets stored for a VERY LONG TIME. And it gets indexed. So the search engines will helpfully find all the personal information you’ve ever posted. So anything I write can and will be found by any future wife, any future employer, any future authority figure.

So, if this personal information is “out there” who could use it and for what purposes? I don’t know what for and for that I was afraid.

The Solution

The Apostle John writes that “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” 1 Jn 4:18 This is in the same paragraph where John writes that “God is love.” So the solution to my fear is to trust God.

That is easier said than done, but I can trust that God, who made it possible for me to have a Father<->Son relationship with Him, will take care of me no matter what happens in the future.

So I’m changing my Fb About page to allow it to display my birth year. Any on my next birthday, it will announce to all my friends my new real age. And I’m trusting God with how it may be used.

Do you tell people your real age? Why or why not?

7 thoughts on “Going Public with my Age

  1. Uncle Bob

    Almost 65. I think this is harder to take than 30, 40, 50, or 60. I’ve been telling myself that since 9/1/12 when I received my Medicare Card. But my birthday isn’t until next week, 9/16.

    Reply
  2. PatrckB Post author

    Bob, you’re a few years ahead of me. Does it feel like that when you get a Medicare Card that your are “officially” old? Is that what makes it hard?

    Reply
  3. Msneen

    Well all of my close friends know how old I am but the internet thinks I am a man LOL. I guess with my unusual name someone just decided to guess and it got passed around. Makes for some interesting solicitations at times but i would rather not give out any more information than is necessary and that includes my year of birth.

    Reply
  4. barron

    Patrick

    You are still running the RACE thats the POINT! So Run with your head HIGH!

    Dadadadadada Thats the melody of Chariots of FIRE………

    Reply
  5. PatrckB Post author

    Moneen,
    I understand that age is a more sensitive issue for women than men. There are more society pressures on you than there are on us.

    Barron,
    I appreciate your encouragement and song. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Tim Hanley

      58 years old and that is just a year. The key is are you still growing in your faith, not your age. I know lots of 30 year olds who are way more mature in their walks with the Lord than folks who are in their 50’s and 60’s. It is all about growing up in Jesus. I love you, Brother. Thanks to for taking me to the seminar at Northpoint. Awesome. Andy’s new book is super!

      Reply
  6. Nancy

    Headed in towards 50 in January. I tell my age without qualm — but I don’t have it out on FB. I don’t even have my birthdate available for viewing. I’m female, about to be fifty, gray hairs by the boatload and wrinkles too. Who am I trying to kid? I feel like it is important for me to be accepting of who I am and how I am and to model that for my teenage daughter. Society is not right about what women look like. If I can love the me that God created; hopefully she will love the Casey that God created and not fall into some beauty trap.

    Reply

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