It all started at a party. Jim was invited by the host whom he had known for some 19 years. While he was in the kitchen, talking to one of the parents, he bumped into a friend of the family; she’d been invited by one of the host’s cousins. Somehow the chat got onto age and education. “You’re over the hill,” the young girl told Jim. “Partying is a young person’s activity.” “Really” Jim replied nonplussed. “Who teaches you...