Age Matters Not...judge me by my age, do you?

Recently I wrote about turning 45, the age I always thought of as old when I was younger, and how mentally I didn't "feel" 45. I wrote that age is only a number, and that you're only as old as you let yourself feel. Today I had another thought about that, a thought I had to make sure did not escape me without further thought. Yes, I thought that my thoughts would need further thought, which as a result has given me a lot to think about.

There is a young woman at work. Early 20's, lively, gorgeous, and with a delightful personality. She has a lot of friends her age and a lot of good times, and in my opinion not long after meeting her, no real place to fit in a friendship with a 40+ man. When I sent her a friend request on Facebook, I was surprised when she not only accepted it but thanked me later on at work for the request. Since then we've had many good chats at work, some on Facebook, and some regarding my blogs which she became a fan of. She must have seen in me something that was worth her time to enjoy in an older friend.

One day in early May of 1999 myself and a few hundred people spent the morning and afternoon waiting on a line to get advance tickets to the first new Star Wars film in 16 years, The Phantom Menace. I found myself
on line between a 16 year old boy, a 50+ man, and a late 20's biker dude with shaved head, tattoos, and an all-over tough demeanor. The four of us talked Star Wars, science fiction, and more Star Wars for hours that
day. When it comes to Star Wars, it doesn't matter what age you show, or what persona you project, on the inside you're that same young kid you were that first time you saw the original movie.

I am friendly with a lot of people at work; some just casual hellos and casual chit-chat, others I pal around with during the day and on breaks. There is a guy there who's about 70, still working and pushing back his
retirement until he's 72. In the past when he made indications of wanting to become work friends, I didn't jump at the prospect of being buddy-buddy at work with a 70 year old man. It sure seems shallow
of me now, but I just didn't foresee what a 70 year old man and I would have in common to talk about while working. I mean, I'm a friendly person but I don't have to be friends with everyone, do I?

Later by coincidence, the old man and I wound up sitting across from each other in our conjoined cubicles. For the last couple of months he and I have had some of the best conversations, and hearty laughs that
I've had in the two years at that job. It just goes to show, whether I'm having deep discussions with a 22 year old woman, or great laughs with a 70 year old man, you can't judge a book by its cover, you can't limit a
person's prospects for humor and good times by one's expectations based on age, and you simply can't limit your friendships over pre-conceived notions of what a potential friend has to offer. Do so, and you don't
even know how much you stand to lose by putting up age-specific walls around you.