An unusual #ARIASBTS post... Whenever I hear BTS sing “Forever, we are young”, it hits me a little differently at 58. Not because I wish I were young again, but because I’ve realised how much of my younger self is still here, despite everything life has thrown at me. When I was young, I had no idea what life had in store for me. I had plans and expectations, most of them shaped by what society told me adulthood should look like. Marriage, children, career, home, growing old together. I was young, fit, healthy and thought I was bulletproof. I expected children. I didn’t expect years of fertility struggles and heartbreak. I didn’t anticipate raising two autistic children, supporting a transgender child, navigating mental health challenges or doing so much of it as a single parent. I expected to be happily married until death did us part. I believed that twice. I was wrong twice. I never imagined I’d own a home, support a family, travel or start over on my own. I didn’t know how strong I’d need to be, or how much adversity I’d face. And my body? Bloody hell. The young woman who ran, played competitive sport and moved without a second thought never imagined troublesome knees, feet, shoulders, hips, failing eyesight and assorted internal organs deciding to cause trouble. My brain still thinks I can do everything I did at 25. My body strongly disagrees. But ageing has brought some wonderful surprises. I never imagined that seven young men from South Korea would become such a meaningful part of my life. That I’d learn another language, travel for concerts, connect with people around the world and discover new interests in my fifties. Young me was shy and worried too much about what people thought. I’m still an introvert, but I’m comfortable with that now. I’ve learned to stand up for myself and my children. I’ve questioned beliefs I once accepted without thinking. My ethics and values have evolved, and I’m proud of the person I’ve become. I’m not the person I expected to be. I’m physically less capable in some ways, but more confident, independent and comfortable with myself. So why am I sharing all this? Because I sometimes see younger people making dismissive comments about older generations, as though reaching a certain age makes someone less interesting, less relevant or less capable of understanding the world. I wonder whether they realise how little they know about the people they’ll eventually become. I certainly didn’t. Every older person was once young, with dreams, ambitions, insecurities and expectations. They’ve experienced things you know nothing about. Some wonderful, some devastating, and some that changed their lives completely. And they’re still learning, growing, making mistakes and wondering what on earth they’re doing. Getting older hasn’t given me all the answers. It’s made me realise how much I still don’t know. I’m 58. I have no idea what the next twenty years will bring. Young me would be astonished by the life I’ve lived. I suspect future me will have a few surprises in store, too. So before dismissing someone because of their age, remember that you’re seeing one chapter of a life you know very little about. Nobody stops having dreams, ambitions, curiosity or a future simply because they’ve grown older. We’re all still figuring things out.