For me, this item encapsulates aging, but also its lesser-known perks.
For both the ancient Greeks and the Jews, the need for a cane is associated with frailty and weakness. It features quite famously in the Sphinx’s riddle, mentioned by Sophocles, about the creature that begins walking on four legs, and then two, and eventually three legs – it means humans, who crawl as babies, walk on two feet shortly thereafter, and eventually need the help of a cane. While in the Jewish tradition, it pertains to someone who has been injured badly enough to need a stick for walking or someone old enough to require something on which to lean.
But there is a positive side to all this. I say, why should the old and frail have all the fun!? A cane can be a remarkably flashy accessory. Indeed, there was a time in which the cane was a sign of high society. This makes me think of the famous incident in the Talmud in which someone literally hides money inside a cane. If you are in the market for one, consider something with a nice hand-carving – a lion, perhaps – and even a golden ferrule to strengthen the shaft. Together with a few gray wisps in your hair, the look could be quite fetching!
