Getting old sucks! Lillian B. Rubin, PhD., the author of “60 On
Up” figures that anyone who extols the virtues of the new old age is probably
writing about it at the age of forty.
Our culture worships youth and ageism is still alive and well in
It is time for a change in
attitude. At the beginning of the
twentieth century the average age at death was forty-nine; now it is closer to
80 and rising rapidly. People over 85
now represent the fastest growing segment of the population. That statistic alone tells us that times are
changing. The new focus will be on
finding meaning and direction as the years march forward.
Still, it will be a challenge. We are living longer and we are healthier;
the definition of “old” has been pushed back, but the attitude still hasn’t
changed. I have always identified with
the baby boomer movement, even though I was born a few years before then, and I
am hopeful that they will continue to shake things up as they move into their
60s. The baby boomers are the best
educated and literate movement of our time and if they can’t spur an attitude
adjustment, nobody can.
What makes all of this so
interesting is that most of us are staying younger while getting older. Does that make sense? We see this more every
day. We aren’t retiring to the golf courses or taking to our rocking chairs. Seventy year olds are taking computer classes,
working out at the gym, talking on their cell phones and even texting for
heaven sakes. The wrinkles may be there
but seniors today are busy keeping up with what is going on in the world. They are determined to be a part of it all
and determined to make a difference.
Physically we can’t deny the
signals that our aging body sends us, but we fight the psychology of it all on
a daily basis. The entire spectrum of
age from babyhood through adolescence and from adulthood into old age has been
pushed up. Now is not the time to retire
from life. Quite an adjustment don’t you
think?
Comments