‘Forever young’ is a scam!

American rapper, Jay Z, has a song “Forever Young” (originally done by Alphaville) where he brags about how he’d stay evergreen and continue doing all the great things in the future as he has done in the past. He talks about tomorrow with such confidence because he perceives time can never erase his ingenuity.

Well, anytime I hear this “Forever Young” song, I giggle because for all these years of my existence, I am yet to meet a single man or woman who has never grown old. I am yet to see a single person who has been able to cheat time, thus, stayed young forever. “Forever Young” is a scam!

When old age arrests you, no matter how strong you are, you will have to give in. When life’s expiry date comes knocking, there’s nowhere to run to. No matter what a good athlete one is, when age catches up with them, they can’t run. No one will be young forever no matter what!

In a matter of time,what you used to do would soon be your pastime. Your body can’t fight the same diseases it used to wrestle when you were younger. You may not be able to work as exuberantly as you used to when you were younger.

Anytime you see an age ceiling fixed to the collar of any vacancy, know that it’s a reminder that no one will be young forever. Anytime you see the aged, be reminded that there sits your future!

I recently watched a memorable video of an old lady who, on her sick bed, was watching herself on TV dancing.Here was a telecast of her first TV appearance as a young woman. Then only 18, she looked so spotless and innocent on the screen unlike her current state where she was drowning in wrinkles. This experience communicated one timeless message to me― being young is not timeless!

If you knew you had only today to be young, what will you change about yourself? If you knew that if tomorrow came, you won’t be as active as you are today, what would you focus your energy on instead? Well, the truth is that you had better planned your life with all urgency now because you won’t be this strong tomorrow.

Tomorrow comes with old age. It comes with the inability to do more no matter how much you desire to. Most of the privileges that may come to you as a young man may be useless to a sexagenarian, for instance. Life’s opportunities are time-bound. Always remember not to waste them!

Chase your dreams as much as possible now that you have the strength to. Pursue your ambitions to the best of your abilities. Be passionate about your purpose. There’s no better time than now. When it has all been said and done, you’d know you did your best.

You won’t be young forever so invest in your future. A day may come when life will write you off no matter how skilled you are. Invest now into that day. Each move of yours should have that day in mind. Don’t let retirement take you by surprise. Don’t expend all your energy on fruitless ventures. Don’t waste your wealth on unprofitable lifestyles. Always remember you won’t be forever young.

Invest into your personality. Invest into properties. Invest into people. Life is a cycle of investment. Someone invested in us to be who and what we are today. We also need to invest in others to be better people tomorrow. We can invest our time or even space. Our days on earth are only a few. We can’t afford to not share them with others.

You won’t be young forever. Don’t waste your time on relationships that are heading nowhere. Time and tide wait for no man… and that man may be you. Plant yourself in soils that appreciate your presence. Life is too short to always be begging to be loved.

“Forever Young” is only another scam so stop chasing after all the youthful pleasures that will only leave you as a miserable adult. A recklessly lived youth will only be an adulthood of needless regrets. Learn from those who made the same errors. You don’t have enough time to be living other people’s mistakes all over again.

When infidelity comes knocking, remember you won’t be young forever. You can’t afford to spend your old age with “unbudgeted-for children” from your past. When alcoholism comes calling, remember you won’t be a youth forever. When anything that looks like waste of time comes begging, remember time is not on your side!

We ought to live today with tomorrow in mind. Today is a product of the choices we made yesterday. Guess what, our choices today are gradually molding us into what we’d be tomorrow. Each day comes with an opportunity to make great choices that can save us a lot of headache tomorrow. Try much as you can, always remember you will never be young forever.

Our days on earth are numbered. Each new day is a reminder that these days have been shortened by a day. Each brand new day inches us closer to the grave. So… if Jay-Z’s “Forever Young” is your favourite, well… I guess you have been scammed. No one ever remained a teen forever. Haha.

The writer is a playwright and Chief Scribe of Scribe Communications, an Accra-based writing company (www.scribecommltd.com).