Grace, Grit, and a Hearing Aid

Grace, Grit and a Hearing Aid

What do you think gets better with age?

Letters to the Prompt

✍️ Author’s Note

This reflection is part of my Letters to the Prompt — an ongoing series of musings in response to daily questions that invite a moment of pause, perspective, or sometimes playful introspection. With age comes clarity, but also complexity — and a touch of humour never hurts.

Dear Prompt,

This question — “what gets better with age?” — is indeed an interesting one. But like all good questions, it invites more than one answer. From where I sit — an octogenarian with a touch of perspective — it’s much like the principle of Yin and Yang: some things improve, others decline, and in the end, they must find a kind of balance.

What gets better? The view from the outside. Over time, one learns to observe more, judge less, and accept the station in life one has arrived at — often with greater understanding, some hard-earned wisdom, a more realistic outlook, and a gentler sense of self. I’ve found that perception sharpens, even if the eyesight dims.

But not all things improve. Society, for instance, has grown louder and less graceful. Style, once effortless, now feels optional. Friendships thin out — and I’ve learned it’s often better to speak of “agreeable acquaintances.”

I’ve also come to terms with this age of careless individualism. With time, one separates the trivial from the essential, and if lucky, lives in peace with oneself. My outlook on life hasn’t changed much — just my pace.

Aging, of course, means decline. Physical aging often outruns mental aging. I walk slower, wear a hearing aid, and carry the usual hallmarks of advancing age — though thankfully, not without a sense of humour and a pinch of well-earned cynicism, especially when observing the oddities of the human race.

There’s also a deepening understanding that nature has us all on trial — we are masters of very little. Getting older has made me more skeptical, especially of dogma. I’ve come to prefer reason over superstition and believe that truth, though often inconvenient, deserves more attention than it gets.

Old age invites reflection — about life’s table we’re all seated at. We rise more easily above emotion and begin to take things as they come. And with that comes the recognition that happiness is, in no small part, shaped by character.

In the end, I’ve learned that we are often happier than we are wise — and that, as the old saying goes, my last coat won’t have any pockets.

Netherlands, WJJH, 11.7.2025

📌 Blog Excerpt

Musing: In this reflective piece, an octogenarian explores the duality of aging, noting both improvements and declines. With age comes wisdom, acceptance, and a deeper understanding of self, even as physical decline occurs. Emphasizing the importance of character in shaping happiness and critiques societal changes, advocating for balance in life’s perspectives.