The London Olympics, incredible as they were, are now just a memory. Something struck me during the opening ceremony and then the closing one – there were more people-of-a-certain-age involved than I ever remember seeing during a Games. The opening ceremony called to attention the several athletes who were in their sixties and even older. Bob Costas, 60, noted with pride that he was younger than several Olympic athletes. And who was the closing act of that opening ceremony? None other than Sir Paul McCartney (didn’t he write the book on the sixties?) who had turned 70 a few days before the Games began. Here’s to rocking into your wheelchair years!

And who could forget the closing ceremony? There were performers of all ages. The Who (combined age of the two surviving members is 135) and their contemporaries Queen, and people in their 40s or a bit older – Spice Girls, Blur, Beady Eye, and George Michael. The show organizers dug deep into the vaults to resurrect Take That, Madness, Pet Shop Boys, and Annie Lennox. One artist I was hoping to see was Kate Bush (one of her songs was used), who is likely still gorgeous at 54. All in all an incredible cross-section of English music, a brilliant bunch of performances, and a gentle reminder that we all get old someday.

The only people who don’t get old are the gymnasts. In fact, their age seems to decrease every year. It seems that not long ago, Nadia Comaneci and I were about the same age; we still are, but now we are old enough to be the parents of the current crop of gymnasts competing. Time marches on.