Is it desirable to grow very old?

Most people are preoccupied with their age and are terrified when they notice they are getting old. That is understandable because age does not only bring wisdom and the quiet but it also reminds us of the approaching of our death, altough many people often exaggerate the greatness of this ''problem''. Obviously, there are many advantages and disadvantages of reaching a very old age that we should consider.
First of all, growing very old means getting the chance to be the person that you are for a longer period of time. The longer you live, the more you see of the world. You get to experience more and learn from your mistakes.
This, of course, brings wisdom, for wisdom is not just education or intelligence, but it is actually based on life experience. Old people can pass their ideas and opinions to their children, grandchildren, friends etc. I, personally, know from my own experience that some advice from an old person is almost always good advice.
At this point I have to admit that old people devoutly believe that their opinion is badly needed because it is the right opinion and therefore they always want to be a part of every decision, which sometimes can be annoying and difficult to handle. However, this behavior can also be seen on a great part of young people, so we shouldn't refer to it as to a tic of old people.
Furthermore, a great problem of growing old is the bunch of illnesses that it brings with it. It must be really troublesome and sad to realize that your own body, your home and your companion through the life, is starting to fail at performing it's basic tasks. To me, the worst part is that the body loses it's functionality and becomes a cavity for diseases.
But apart from that, every family wants to spend as much time as possible with it's oldest members.
Living a long life means being able to reach more goals in your life and spend time with your loved ones.
I think that whatever disadvantages old age might cause, life is still a thousand times better than perpetual quiet.

Olga