That is such a fib. They do, but they don’t age like most of the population. They maintain a passion for learning that lasts a lifetime. The computer club my husband and I belong to is a good example. We’re 50 and 58 and there is only one member younger than we are, and he isn’t younger by much. The meetings are lively and informative and the members’ enthusiasm buoys us up for another month. We’re always learning something new, some are also members of the Digital Graphics Group, a local photography club, writers’ groups and theater groups.

The explosion in computer technology has made innovative, agile minds popular as never before. There are even strategies developed by corporations for “how to manage geeks” to make the most of this valuable asset. The crop of technopups that fueled the current economy are ‘aging in place’ and are coming to understand their worth in the business environment.

All of this sounds so serious but the fact is, geeks are fun; they’re always up to something. They have a current project, something that’s just driving them crazy until they figure it out. They’re fast, they’re fun, and they rarely indulge in obnoxious addictions that kill valuable brain cells. Caffeine is their drug of choice, and they rarely exceed the speed limit because after all, “do you know how much the death rate increases for each additional 10mph of speed over the limit?”.

Well yes, I do. My geek told me.

Lisa Miller

Tags: aging, geeks, old geeks, learning