by Christos Zabounis

At Nice airport, a magazine under the title “Vieux” did catch my attention. I bought it immediately, despite its steep price – 7.90 euros – not because I feel old-fashioned, but because the cover showed Iggy Pop hugging the magazine’s publisher, Antoine de Caunes. Who is the gentleman in question? A famous French TV and Film star, director, actor, writer and musician. In addition, he is married to the Greek-Galician TV presenter Daphne Roudier, hence the acquaintance. He will be 71 on December 1st, but he looks, and is, younger. I think that the answer to the question of what is the point of such a venture is to be found in the subtitle of “Vieux”. “The magazine we’ll all end up reading.” After all, aging is an issue that will concern us all at some point. Some bear it heavily, already from the first crisis of middle age, others strongly resist the passage of time, preserving their youth and conserving body and spirit. We lose a lot growing up. Hair, teeth, hearing, sight, vitality, appetite, sleep, energy. However, there is also something valuable that we conquer. Serenity. The tranquility. The peace associated with the reduction of obligations and the resulting stress. “Vieillir, ce n’ est pas commencer a mourir”, I read in an interview in “Le Point”, of the philosopher Roger-Pol Droit. “Old age does not mean the beginning of death.” A hopeful message.