Adulthood it Is a Fact

¶ … Adulthood

It is a fact of life that we all go through various stages as we grow and age. Human beings grow physically fastest during their childhood years, pique during their youth and begin to deteriorate physically during the middle years. Middle adulthood stretches between the years from 50 to 65 years old. Physically, an individual anywhere within this age group might begin to experience less ability to be physically very active, as in strenuous exercise. Heart conditions may develop, eye sight and hearing might begin to deteriorate slightly. Further, reflexes might be slower for those in this age group. Psychologically, some begin to feel "middle aged" very early in their 40s, while others begin to feel the effects of their years only in their 50s. This can be the result of both physiological and psychological factors. With this in mind, it is interesting to observe this age group in a social setting such as a mall; the two main distinguishing factor categories I noticed were physiological and psychological.

As mentioned, my chosen location to observe those within their middle ages was the mall. I chose this location since it is a public setting where I could be unobtrusive regarding my observations. I also chose a somewhat busy time of the day, during a Saturday morning, during which most professionals choose to do their shopping or other business. This enabled me to sit on a public bench, placed there for those who wanted to rest from the rigors of their shopping experiences. During this time, a few people shared the bench with me. While some of my temporary companions would exchange a greeting, none seemed particularly interested in what I was doing or the notes I was taking.

The most obvious factors I was able to observe among those within the 40-65 age group were related to physical characteristics. Those at the early stage of middle age, in their 40s, definitely looked more mature than those in their 30s and 20s, but did not show many signs of being slower in terms of either reflexes or walking speed. In the later stages of middle age, and especially in their 60s, those I observed appeared somewhat slower, although even at this age most seemed perfectly capable of dealing with the physical demands of shopping. Here and there was a person who seemed to be in his or her sixties, experiencing somewhat slow movement. These people were, however, in the minority. Most people within the middle age group wore glasses. I was unable to get close enough to see any hearing aids among the age group. This is in keeping with the finding that minor adjustments, such as reading glasses, would be enough to maintain a normal lifestyle. Hearing aids would seldom be necessary, since only high pitched sounds become inaudible to those in their later middle age.

In terms of psychology, most people in the middle age group seemed to be accompanied by either a spouse or partner. Most of these people seemed to be in a romantic relationship with their companions. Most of the couples in this relationship seemed to enjoy each other's company. Here and there one partner in a couple would seem either bored or in a bad mood. These, however, were in the minority. Others in the same age group seemed to be by themselves, without any companions, while a third group were part of a family, including a younger couple with children. Most people in this age group seemed happy and/or content, which correlates with the fact that psychologically, many in their middle age have found a stable life partner and/or work they find fulfilling and enjoyable.