To me, old age is always fifteen years older than I am.

The quip exposes “old age” as a relative, shifting category rather than a fixed number. By placing old age perpetually fifteen years ahead, the speaker keeps a buffer between the self and the stigma of being “old,” suggesting that identity is shaped as much by attitude and social comparison as by chronology. The humor also implies a quiet defiance: as long as one can imagine old age as belonging to someone else—someone a bit further down the road—one can continue to act, plan, and desire as a person still in motion. It’s a compact statement about self-perception, denial, and resilience.