[转贴] Bangkok Post : Editor's Note, Dec 26, 2006

The Years Of Our Lives
The first time you open your eyes, you see bright lights and a strange creature in a green mask holding a pair of shiny scissors ready to cut something from your body. And so you wail and you scream, "What the hell is going on?!" And then you blink and it's 10 years later, your're looking to learn everything about the world. You're a curious little bugger and you always want to know why, why, why, why - you're clueless and you juest want to learn - but you just can't understand why the big people like to tell you to shut up when you ask why.
The you blink and you're 20 years old. At this age you don't just think you know everything rather you know that you know everything, and you're ready to conquer to the world.
Then you blink and you're 30 years old, finding that every morning you wake up saying to yourself, "I still have time, no worries." And you're no longer so sure that you know everything.
Then you blink and you're 40 years old, this is when you've reached the 'maturity' level to decide that you can be happy with where you're at and all those fanciful ambitions of the long gone youthful/foolish years where just pipe dreams that are best locked away and the key thrown away. You realize that admitting defeat is simply an expression of what society calls maturity. Once again, you're certain that you know everything. You just don't like what you know...
The you blink and you're 50 years old, you have given up all your dreams and all that is left to do is grumble about life. Your frustrations turn into bitterness, and you develop a disdain for the young, who you deem immature and foolist, with all their strange antics and pipe dreams. They and everything they do just annoys you, because you just know they will fail, just like you did - and of course, you believe you know everything. The victims of your grumpiness are first and foremost, your own children.
Then you blink again and you're 60 years old, wondering to yourself, "Is this all there is to life?" But still, you believe you know everything. You just hate what you know.
The you blink and you're 70 years old, begging and praying to all the things that are good and holy to turn back time, to let you have a go at life once more and that this time 'round you'll do things differently - perhaps you're even willing to make a deal with the Devil. Still though, you know that you know everything, even though you keep forgeting to put on your diaper.
Then you blink and you're 80 years old on your deathbed, excepting the fact that this is all there is to life, that no matter what you have or haven't done, everything becomes nothing, you physical being will soon become nothing... ashes to ashes, dust to dust. It no longer matters if you know everything.
Moral of the story: The tale about is a bit... well, extreme and exaggerated, but the point is, whatever resolutions you're made of this New Year, make them come true. Otherwise, one day you'll become a grumpy old fart - and no amount of Prozac, anti-wrinkle cream or digestive medicine can save you from it.