I obviously don't put much thought into getting old. The idea of it has never really been a consideration or an option. But there's a possible path in front of me where I go to this monastery, end up staying, and end up getting old. What getting old means and the specifics that path entails are varied and diverse (hint: the options include leaving the monastery).

On the most general level, it would involve a transformation where issues regarding suicide and existence are definitively resolved. No small thing, mind you, basically a re-working of my very premise of being, but in a monastic setting it's a distinct possible reality.

I think of this because I re-watched one of my favorite recent movies, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...And Spring. I highly recommend it because it's a great film, but I should also warn that it's paced . . . contemplatively. I wouldn't call it slow, but the dialogue is sparse, and it's a story told mostly through images and ideas.

It's easier to watch than Wings of Desire, another of my fave films that I've watched multiple times, arguably because it's hard to stay awake for the whole thing.

Anyway, the film depicts a spiritual human journey in seasonal segments, and the segment I related most closely to was the Winter segment, when the main character is old (late 50s; hey, that's the best I can do in contemplating "old"). There's a sense of accomplishment, of settling, of maturity perhaps. A sense of being done with all the distractions and strivings of youth.

So even though I feel old on the inside, I never thought about realistically being old in age. I'm thinking it might not be all that bad. If I were given the option of aging 20 years right now, I might seriously consider it (taking into consideration the two other options I usually consider).