In each of us there is a "little old man" or "little old woman," waiting to burst out. During our younger years, this person remains in hiding and seldom makes an appearance. Occasionally when we are overtired or haggard or just having a bad hair day he/she pops through to slight visibility.

As we reach our middle years and the wrinkles become deeper and the lines and creases don't disappear we get a better view of the "little old man/woman" hiding in all of us. I see myself as my father or grandmother as the hair gets grayer and whiter, and the furrows deeper.

Camouflaging the natural aging process has turned into a major industry. The beauticians and plastic surgeons advertise wrinkle removal, erasing "crows feet" at the corner of the eye, eliminating bags under the eye, face lifts, tummy tucks, hair plugs for the balding and a general assortment of improvements. These are all done to keep that "little old man/woman" under the surface and not let them into our lives.

Last week on Saturday night, my wife and I went to see Joni James at the Westbury Music Fair. I loved her singing between 1952-1960. Her crying voice and high, whining notes tugged at your insides. She created a romantic mood with her love songs. Joni stopped singing in 1960 and she hasn't recorded for over 40 years.

The audience at Westbury was comprised of men and women in their 60s and 70s. They yearned to remember their romantic, youthful days. Joni's voice was slightly diminished but she hit an occasional note that transported me back four decades.

Joni was warm and wonderful. Her jet black hair and lush white skin spoke to her Italian roots. She sang some Italian songs and with the 14-piece orchestra, it made for a classic musical experience.

My wife noted that the audience was a melange of white, red and yellow. The men were all gray and white-headed and the women were crowned in beautiful shades of red and varying shades of blonde.

As they succumbed to reaching for their youth, they sought to delay that little person, within each of us, from making too rapid an appearance onto the senior stage of our lives.

Some succeeded better than others!

Stanley Greenberg