You most certainly remember saying it as a youngster, I’m sure … and your parents probably did as well. It’s the best way to say something is neat-o, awesome, or swell, or just plain nice or OK. The phrase cool is very relaxed, never goes out of style, and no one ever laughs at you for using it; very convenient for people who don't give a rat about what's “in”. Sometimes you use it when you don’t have a clue about a subject, yet want to act as if you know-it-all, or just sound “hip”. Admit it.
“Cool” has been with us as an acceptable, universal slang for years. Some things never change. The usage of cool as a general positive epithet or interjection has been part of the English slang since before World War II, and has even been lent to other languages, such as French and German. Originally it was a development from a Black English usage meaning “excellent, superlative,” first recorded in written English in the early ‘30s. Jazz musicians who used the term made it popular during the ‘40s.
Most slang words haven’t had the staying power or universal appeal of cool, and that’s cool; some things just endure and get better with age; like cheese, wine, scotch, some beers, and most people.
Aging with poise is a matter of self value and pleasure. “I'm proud of my age. I'm not going to hide behind a cosmetic persona. I'm aging gracefully, I’m cool,” should be a mantra chanted each morning while eating your oatmeal laced with lifesaving cinnamon. Or then there is the bumper sticker (there always is about every subject), ‘If things get better with age, then I’m nearly fantastic’. Age is an ongoing process; time marches on, its unavoidable, and we get older. It’s perpetual motion at a personal level.
However, there are rules if you want to become a fine wine ‘someone’, and not ‘crabapple’ vinegar. We age better when we are in high spirits and free of negative shadows. Researchers speculate that positive emotions may directly affect health via chemical and neural responses involved in maintaining a perfect balance between wine and vinegar. Your brain knows the difference. In other words, quit saying, “I can’t do it”, instead say, it would be something cool to try.
Hints: creativity knows no age limits. In fact, there comes a certain freedom with age. You can create whatever you want. You aren’t at the mercy of the marketplace. You serve your own spirit by letting it have its say. Your years, your lines, your scars are part of who you are. They should be a matter of comfort and pride and even your joy and a foundation for creativity.
And just as age is an ongoing process, so is your sex life. Even if you've been married to the same wacko for decades, sex can be a continuous erotic adventure. And sexual fulfillment helps bring balance into other aspects of our lives, too. And it doesn’t hurt to get that ticker pumping a little faster. Cool.
“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter,” said that former printer's apprentice, Mississippi riverboat pilot, and newspaperman, Mark Twain.
Cool will probably outlive us all, but we may as well hitch a ride on its coat tail while we can. Being cool can make you hot! And better! www.funwithretirement.com
