apropos of many things

from Harley Sorenson in SF Chronicle -

Growing old, as I've managed to do in recent years, has its advantages and disadvantages. The big disadvantage is the obvious one: Your body starts to fall apart.

The big advantage is that years of observation and experience teaches you things you didn't know before, so when the carnival barker invites you to pay to see the two-headed woman, you wonder not if there's a two-headed woman inside the tent but rather how they plan to cheat you.