There's a vintage which comes with age and experience.

"There's a vintage which comes with age and experience." These words from Jon Bon Jovi capture a truth that transcends time and speaks directly to the heart of what it means to grow older. The notion of vintage, often associated with fine wine, carries with it the idea of something that improves with time, becoming richer, more complex, and more refined. Bon Jovi's words suggest that as we accumulate years and experiences, we, too, develop a certain richness, a depth that cannot be gained through youth alone. There is a wisdom and clarity that emerge from living through both triumphs and tribulations, and these experiences shape us into something far more valuable than we were in our earlier years.

In the teachings of the ancients, the idea of aging and the value of experience were deeply revered. Socrates, one of the greatest philosophers of all time, famously said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." He knew that life was not just about accumulating years, but about reflecting upon them, learning from them, and becoming wise through that reflection. Similarly, Confucius taught that learning and growth are lifelong pursuits, and that with each season of life, we gain the ability to understand the world and ourselves more clearly. The ancients understood that the journey through life’s phases—from youth to old age—was not linear, but a process of becoming. The more we experience, the more we can grow in our understanding of truth, virtue, and meaning.

Consider the example of Leonardo da Vinci, a figure whose genius did not emerge fully formed in his youth. While da Vinci demonstrated immense talent from an early age, it was his experiences and relentless pursuit of knowledge over decades that truly defined his legacy. As he grew older, da Vinci’s work became more sophisticated, his understanding of the world and its workings more refined. His art and inventions were the result not just of youthful brilliance, but of a lifetime of learning, experimenting, and failing. The vintage of da Vinci’s mind, like a fine wine, deepened over time, revealing new layers of insight and creativity. Bon Jovi’s quote reflects this truth: it is through time and experience that the true depth of a person’s potential is realized.

This idea of aging as a process of deepening and refining resonates with the life of Nelson Mandela. In his youth, Mandela was driven by the ideals of freedom and justice, but it was through the years of hardship and imprisonment that he became the statesman and leader we revere today. His years in prison were not wasted; they were a vintage of his own making, where he cultivated a deep sense of wisdom, forgiveness, and moral clarity. Mandela’s story shows us that age and experience can transform us, providing us with the strength to endure, the vision to lead, and the wisdom to reconcile the complex and painful history of his country.

Bon Jovi’s words also remind us that age is not something to be feared or resisted. In a culture that often worships youth, it can be tempting to see older age as a decline—a loss of vitality and potential. Yet, the vintage of life suggests that older age is not about diminishing, but about becoming. Aging is not about retreating from the world, but about becoming more finely tuned to its nuances. We are like the finest wine, becoming richer and more complex with the passage of time, able to contribute to the world with a depth that was once unavailable to us in our earlier years.

The lesson in Bon Jovi’s quote is simple, but profound: as we age, we must not focus solely on the physical changes that come with time, but on the growth and refinement that we undergo in our inner selves. Experience teaches us not just about the world, but about who we are and what we can offer to others. Just as a vintage wine takes time to reach its peak, so too do we reach our own peak through reflection, learning, and growth. We must see age not as a loss, but as an opportunity to become more fully ourselves, to understand the world more clearly, and to share that wisdom with those around us.

In practical terms, the takeaway from Bon Jovi’s wisdom is to embrace each stage of life with open arms and to recognize that each phase of life brings with it new opportunities to grow and refine ourselves. Rather than fear the passing of time, we should focus on how we can harness the experiences we have had to become better, more wise, and more compassionate. As we age, let us not retreat into the fear of decline, but step forward with confidence, knowing that the true value of our lives lies not in the years we have lived, but in the wisdom and depth we gain along the way. Just as fine wine gets better with age, so too can we continue to grow and flourish through every stage of life.