getting older

There is a popular ad on TV for a product called “Progene”. The claim is that this product replaces testosterone that men lose as they age. They speak of the benefits of remaining young, strong and energetic but they have very little understanding of what it means to grow up.

Have you ever wondered why a group of 40 or 50 year old men standing around the water cooler suddenly become like Junior High boys in the locker room when an attractive young women walks by. This, my friend, is the downside to testosterone. One of the reasons that you often hear men in their 70’s say they don’t want to be young again is not because they don’t want to have more energy but because they don’t want to be burdened with the disruptive effect of excess testosterone.

When your brain is submerged in testosterone it makes it difficult to relate to others on a very personal basis. The pressure to be right is more important than developing a relationship. The pressure to compete is more important than cooperating. Thinking is more important than feeling. Making money is more important than making friends. Family takes a back seat to work.

It is only in a mans later years that he begins to see the world with a clear vision, a vision not affected by hormones, a vision that enables him to see into the hearts of others and encourages in him a desire to share his talent and experience in ways that can be helpful to others. He has learned that true happiness comes from reaching out to help and he looks for opportunities to do just that.

No I don’t want any Progene, even though it might get rid of my morning aches and pains. The price is too high.