Does age matter?

•  In our continuing bid to support youth and adult talent in all spheres of the arts, we feature below the Commonwealth Essay Competition 2023 Gold award winning entry titled ‘Does age matter?’ by 16-year-old Dulithi Jayasinghe, student of Methodist College, Colombo. She is also the author of the fiction ‘Mystery of Doctor Calenz Dimension’, written when 14 years of age and published by Star Publishers in Sri Lanka two months ago. The review of this book and interview with Dulithi will be published in our upcoming editions.

By Dulithi Jayasinghe

Age is a value we all have in common and I don’t think there is anyone on this planet Earth who doesn’t have an age. Well, other planets revolve as well which means time exists so, it’s very unlikely that there’s someone out there without an age.

Age is quite a funny topic because some like to age and others consider it one step closer to heaven. As a child, almost all of us want to grow older because then we have our own freedom but once we are an adult we want to become younger thinking life would be much easier if I was a child. But does age really matter because age is simply the number of years the world has been enjoying with you.

Many of us have a printed sentence in our mind saying “We are not old enough” or “We are too old, now it’s too late”. This is simply used to rationalise and set aside our work which eventually means it’s a barrier, a limitation for what we can do. Like Mark Twain once said, “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”

Now let us get into the main theme. Does age define us? Knowledge and success never ask for one’s age. All that matters is the effort, dedication, and devotion you put in. All age categories are needed to make this world balanced. Some consider children dependent, but they too have unique abilities. A child’s mind is very innovative compared to an adult’s.

What is the cause of this division?

There are many instances at present where society considers teens as innocent and not much experienced. Well, as a child myself this is something I experience firsthand. Growing up as an only child of my parents, everyone around me treats me like an infant. They make tasks easier thinking I can’t handle it. I almost never get a chance to learn by myself. This is simply known as spoon-feeding but this left a big question in me growing up. “Do they really think that I’m that fragile and irresponsible?” But the truth is my parents are trying to protect me to the best of their abilities.

All of us are different and so is our mind and the main cause for this is the surroundings and the background one has growing up.

I once came across a boy who was about 16 years old and his story shocked me. His parents sadly passed away in a sudden car accident when he was little and his parents were his only support. After this tragic day, all the weight was on his shoulders. He had to take care of his little brother and sister all by himself. He is a very responsible and hardworking young boy who plays the role of both a mother and father to his siblings. Therefore age doesn’t define one’s capabilities.

When considering adults, we get to know about many who have given up in life because of their old age. Lee Allen, also known as the 100-year-old ballerina, was dedicated to her passion for dancing even in her old age which proves that age doesn’t matter for one’s success.

As mentioned above I have put forward many points regarding the fact that age is not a matter to consider but that is not the whole truth. Age does matter to a certain extent and it has many reasons for it. The main fact that leads to this conclusion is the mindset. Yes, a person’s mind changes with age and experience which sometimes children lack. For example, little children want to become princesses and superheroes which isn’t practical but with age, they tend to realise that it’s a fairytale and this is a stage all of us go through. 

Just like that, as minors, there is a higher possibility that a child would unintentionally ruin his or her reputation/future by conducting wrong acts; therefore as for this, putting age restrictions are being followed throughout the world. On an international scale, 18 years is the legal age for most activities. This is because it is believed that once a person is 18 they have the ability to choose between what’s right and wrong without considering the false advice given by others.

When living in this society age is something you should consider but it’s not a fact to worry about or to blame. Most importantly it’s not a barrier to a person’s success. In most instances, age limitations have been put into action to keep a child on the correct path so we should understand that it’s there for our own good.

“Age doesn’t matter as long as you are doing what’s right.”