I’ve never been good at dealing with things that lack urgency. If something can wait a couple of days to be repaired, repainted or redone, then it can probably wait a week — or, let’s be honest, 20 or 30 years.

Maybe that explains why it wasn’t until I reached old age that I finally began to learn what I already knew.

In my younger years, my peel-and-stick problems were handled quickly. No lingering dilemmas. Teenage lessons — taught both formally and through social trends — came with immediate reactions. Friendships, social blunders, homework and hairdos were either fixed, ignored or cut off entirely. Parental admonishments or validations came swiftly, often stamped with awards, certificates, licenses or diplomas.

Fortunately, lessons aren’t perishable. The insights and unconscious wisdom collected through middle age tucked themselves away in the nooks and crannies of my mind — waiting.

As fraught and dramatic as those teenage years were (one step forward, 10 steps back), 70 years of time and maturity finally gave those early lessons a chance to take root and grow into broader understanding.

CK Wolfson

CK Wolfson

Middle age, meanwhile, was like a mix-and-match card game of identities: single, married, divorced, parent, professional, community activist. I tried them all, alternating between confidence and insecurity.

When I turned 80 and was finally ready to validate myself, my memories came alive. From that deep well of stored wisdom emerged simple but powerful truths — things like, “Speak softer if you want your message to be heard,” and “Tell the truth now, so later you won’t have trouble remembering what you said.”

That kind of practical knowledge makes almost everything easier.

And everyone knows that if you’re fortunate enough to arrive at old age with good health and a halfway sensible lifestyle, it can be a romp. If you embrace it before you start saving used tin foil, it’s all rather charming.

And funny.

Comedians adore our 80-year-old confusions, mannerisms and candor. Our appearance alone — lettuce-leaf skin, lavender-tinted hair, clunky jewelry, layers of ponchos, shawls and other cozy wrappings — can make anyone smile.

Happily, as we shift from middle to old age, the sky begins to clear. Those long-collected bits of wisdom return to us like personal confetti. Our lessons take hold; our egos relax. We get out of our own way and become clearer, gentler versions of our authentic selves.

Perfect timing.

Because being in your 80s broadens everything — your view, your patience, your sense of humor. You finally stop blocking your own message.

You just let it land.

CK Wolfson is a frequent contributor to the Gazette.