Growing Old: A Journey of Self-Discovery

Four babushka dolls in checkered cloth caught my eye today. Just below them read the words, “Growing Old” in bold red font on the book cover. I couldn’t help but stop and take a look on my way out of Green Library. Flipping through the table of contents, I noted chapters including discussion on everything from "dying usefully" to "narcissus and the fear of becoming wrinkled." The author, Danielle Quinodoz, is a psychoanalyst in Geneva with an extensive amount of clinical experience working with the elderly. I believe her psychoanalyst twist and personal introspection would prove an interesting read.

Anyways, I thought about just heading to the dorm for dinner before the dining hall closed. I was planning on glancing at the book another time.

Signs of age and aging surround us every day, yet we hardly ever give ourselves the chance to stop to notice them. Before you know it, we’ll all have graduated from college, established careers, and hit retirement.

Are there certain ways to take in aging slowly, one day at a time, so that we may prepare ourselves for the appearance of a wrinkle? Thinking about it now, I’d be a little nervous to say the least when I notice my first gray strand of hair.

But we've all got time, right? Salt and pepper hair is a long way away...