Why do we put up with
it? Gloria May wrote a great article for
the Northwest Prime Time magazine (Feb/March 2010) about the negative impacts
of ageism, and I applaud her observations.
We need more people getting on this particular band wagon.
She started off discussing a
column that she had written several years ago about “funny” greeting cards that
perpetuate the idea that as we age we are all doomed to confusion, befuddlement,
and drooping parts. You know the ones
she means. They start hinting at doom
and gloom as soon as you turn 30. Those
cards may have seemed funny at 30 or even 40, but they seem downright insulting
now.
Studies being done indicate
that normal healthy individuals show very little decline in their health, and
no significant intellectual impairment as they grow older. So there! Most seniors manage very well and resent
having the finger pointed at them.
Ms. May wrote that she finds
jokes about memory loss for whatever reason to be in extremely bad taste, and
she is right. There is more in life to
laugh about that someone else’s misfortune.
Losing your memory is not a normal part of aging. Ageing is not a
disability and even if it were, not something to poke fun at.
She also brought to light
studies that indicated that believing that memory loss and aging go hand-n-hand
can actually undermine your intellectual performances. If people are exposed to stereotypes long
enough, they begin to believe it. So,
stop it!
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