Youth is always wasted. Squandered, I would say, and that is probably as it should be.

Age is to be savored. I don't want the blessings it has brought--such as patience, perspective, humility, great friends, and occasional moments of wisdom--to be wasted on me.

Ageism is real and pernicious. It affected my options when I wanted to go back to grad school for my MFA. I suspect it will affect my options as I search for faculty (or even adjunct) positions teaching writing. No question it affects my dating options--I would not be taken seriously as a possible romantic partner by most women of your age.

No matter. As I close in on 70, I find simple pleasures and new learning opportunities keep getting sweeter. I would not trade my older mind for a younger body.