Calendar age, however, has a great deal to do with what experiences we have, which do have a great deal of influence on how we view the world. For example, nobody who hasn't lived through the Great Depression is likely to have quite the same attitude about "waste" and frugality than someone who has.

We can pretend these differences don't exist, or we can talk about them so that people can learn where each other are coming from. The latter seems to me the far better option. Saying calendar age isn't important, or shouldn't be allowed to divide us, is self-deception, IMHO. It DOES divide us. But by talking about it we can overcome some of the differences and learn --inasmuch as it's possible-- to see the world through another's eyes.

Alex