Perception & The Matrix

My son and I are watching The Matrix and we’ve come to the part where Neo goes to see the Oracle.

The Oracle and Neo talk together in the kitchen.  The Oracle is smoking.  So, my son says, “I’m surprised she’s alive since she smokes.”

I told him, “Well, smoking doesn’t kill you instantly…it takes time.”

He replied, “But, Dad, she’s so old!”

Me: “How old do you think the Oracle is?”

My son: “80 or 90 years old.”

I just chuckled quietly to myself.  To my 9-year-old boy, his perception from very young eyes, is that this woman is ancient, 80 or 90!!

“80 or 90, huh?”

“Yeah, Dad.  But I guess it depends on when she started, so never mind.”

I think the Oracle was probably closer to 55 or so in the movie.  It’s funny to me that my son sees her as so much older; it makes me wonder if I saw the world that way when I was his age.  I probably did.

How old do you think she is?