Portraits Of Boston: Aging In Reverse

“We’ve been married for 20 years, and we’re getting stronger. We also find that we’re aging in reverse. As we grow older we become more child-like. We actually often pretend to be children to the point where we talk to each other in the special language of 5-year-olds.“

“Is it a way of refusing to grow old?”

“We don’t mind getting old. It’s more of a way to preserve our freedom. It’s easy to lose it, especially in today’s fast-paced life and with all the technology surrounding us. You’re never as free as when you’re a child. Children look at the world with truly open minds. They haven’t yet been told what’s good or bad or what’s appropriate; they don’t have pre-formed opinions. It’s also a great stress reliever. When you’re playing on the couch and rolling on the floor, you forget about all your worries.”

Portraits of Boston is a project of independent photographer Ivan Velinov. He is regularly sharing some of his favorite portraits with WBUR. Visit his website to see the hundreds of portraits he has taken on the streets of Boston.