I'm old too.
Honestly my issue with the people that say "SKIERS USE POLES BECAUSE THEY LOOK GOOD" is that means skiing is a fashion show. I think that forcing fashion on people and hating them for not dressing like you is mega lame.
The balance argument isn't true. Slight loss of mobility in the lift line has a point, but you learn to adapt to this pretty quickly.
Doing huge trecking traverses or skinning in the BC I can see a valid functional argument to poles. In the terrain park you don't use them, the balance thing is a crock of shit and as such its simply a fashion statement.
So again, whats lamer - not using poles or being the fashion police?