On point! This is quite ignorance wrecking.
Thanks to the author.
If am right, choosing a mentor has nothing to do with age.
I mean can my mentor be younger than I am?
Also, I've met with a few people I called mentors that I had to discard from my life. Some because they wanted to colonize my life and others because of the first point... Or maybe I didn't understand right... They have the experience but most times, the way they handled the situation might not work for you that well. And in a way, I feel it cages creativity. But the heads-up equips your for progress.
And when you come to the aged(experienced),you gain the wisdom of years... From the richest man in Babylon.
And please what's the distinction between role model and mentor?
Most of the issue you raised would be treated in the second part of this post.
To your question;
A role model is someone who you pattern your life after, it could be someone you have access to OR otherwise.
On the other hand,
A mentor is someone who has achieved what you hope to achieve, they make inputs in your life, they're actively involved in your journey to the actualization of your goals. They have to be a part of your life, not some distant personality.
I hope I was able to give you clarity, thanks for stopping by.