What Is 'Cool' Anyway?

     ​That’s my grandson Oak and me outside his home in South Carolina that his parents are renting while his dad completes research at a local university. When I told Oak his house is cool, he said, “But it’s old.” I answered, “Old can be cool; just look at me.” He said nothing, and from the next room, my daughter and husband burst out laughing.
     What defines coolness anyway? Take, for example, their Neo-Georgian house. It shows wear and tear from seven decades of living, but its stately architecture sets it apart in a timeless way. The house would be diminished if its owner tried to make it hip by slapping on gray, industrial-looking paint and adding gray-plank flooring, the current trend.
     So what about me? I’m the same age as this house and show wear and tear, too. What would happen if I adopted the current fashion of tats and tattered jeans? I’d look ridiculous! Instead, what if I live comfortably in the architecture of grace I’ve gained through my lifetime? The grace of skills developed through careers. Of humility acquired through tears. Of peace wrestled through fears. Of wisdom honed through years. Then I’d be wearing a timeless cool.
​     How about you? What patina have you developed that gives you a timeless cool?