One of the more interesting things about working at a pool is that you have to deal with people at the two extreme ends of their life, they're either really young or really old. Words cannot describe the infinite joy in being dumped with a group of 5 two year olds and given the task of introducing them to the wonders of this new aquatic environment, all the while making sure they don't drown in the pool water let alone their own tears. The radiant reflection of over enthusiastic parents keen for their child to become the next Ian Thorpe all but makes the 100 or so dollars they had to shell out for some 18 year old to show their kid how to blow bubbles in water all the more worthwhile. (apologies, you can breath now, sentence over)It is rather fascinating seeing these young ones every week gain more independence. Growing at a faster and faster rate as they discover and develop their new found abilities. However, I'm not trying to do a rendition of Robert Winston's 'The Human Body', it just recently occurred to me that in a culture obsessed with youth, prosperity and the continual search for the holy grail it must be difficult knowing that you are losing the ability to develop. People physically and mentally diminish. Like when a 90 year old man no longer has the capacity to move his right arm and leg and is dependent on others for all the most basics things such as walking, let alone being able to go swimming.
I wonder what keeps people going who have nothing left, not even their own mental sanity? Especially in the knowledge that in the future they will keep on losing even more function. Although very bleak, economics defines that when the marginal cost of living exceeds that of the perceived benefits of dying, then utility will be maximised if you were to die. My guess is that if this were true there would be a great deal less elderly folk around today. Rationality isn't always the absolute truth, and can't always give the most correct and 'logical' answer. There has to be something that humans cling on to, whether it be friends, community or faith it doesn't matter.
