Oooh! Interesting question!!
I love the saying, we are only as old as we think we are… and most of the time I feel young, except when I don’t get enough.. LOL
Is aging a mental state? Well, we look at animals, and they still get old and die. It’s a process, but our minds are stronger than their’s and I believe we can “make our own realities” (seen What the Bleep?), so .. would it be possible to inhibit aging? And would we really want to? I mean, sure, for a while.. but being tired isn’t just physical.
I was always one of the weird kids. Back in the day before Vampire’s were goths. I was more interested in living for a long time and being up at night (yeah, night owl, if I had a choice!) I wasn’t into the biting and such, or the piercings that those young kids do today… mine was more of a fascination (Loved the Lost Boys). But I always liked to think about what I would do if I could live “forever”. I have two degrees now, and I would love the chance to learn more. To read, to experience, to travel, to see! Even now, I say that if I get tired of programming, I want to go to school to be a meteorologist. :) I love watching storms and the weather. My boss gives me shit because I always have the weather up on my page.. even more so if there is any kind of weather heading our way!! :)
So, aging… if I could stop it.. perhaps I would.. at least for a while. But maturity, I wouldn’t give up. LOL I certainly wouldn’t want to be young again.. life was hell when I was younger. I still look young, and sometimes that can be a detriment!
I guess it really does come down to “you are only as old as you think you are” … I say I’m getting old, but, even though it’s the truth, I am no where as closed minded and set in my ways as my parents were at my age now. I still do stuff that they would never have dreamt of doing, not only at my age, but even when they were younger!! I really like that aspect of myself. I live for my son and I live for myself. Yeah. I’ve been called selfish, but, I’m so much happier than my parents were at my age… and that also keeps me young! (as does my 6 year old son).