Middle-age and Aging

The opening line of the first essay characterizes much of the author's attitude toward being middle-aged and also positions him in a particular stage of life that will contextualize all his following experiences and perspectives. That line reads as follows: "Though there's an industry built on telling you otherwise, there are few real joys to middle age. The only perk I can see is that, with luck, you'll acquire a guest room" (3). This quote contextualizes the author's particular stance on the theme of middle-age and aging. First, it is a challenging and largely joyless stage of life, though a distinct consumer culture has evolved to profit from it on the basis of the opposite belief. Second, what joys there are to middle-age come from having achieved a degree of freedom, success, and financial stability; this is symbolized by the acquisition of a designated guest room, a...