Are you old? You might find that a rude question but it is an interesting one. Glen Ellis (Philadelphia Tribune: Philadelphia, Pa: September 28, 2010) fields the subject nicely by observing that if you asked that question of two people the same age you would probably get totally opposite answers. Part of the problem is that the term “old’ or “senior” spans over three generations. In no other stage of life is a 40 year age span lumped into one big category. It is interesting and rather disheartening that the term “older” represents a young-old, a middle-old, and an older-old together as one. They are certainly not the same, but it does make the whole age thing confusing. Granted it is fun to be able to take advantage of senior discounts but it not fun to be thought of as old before you are ready to feel or act that way.
Prevention magazine (April 2010) solved the problem by assigning a new category called your “feel age,” which makes a lot of sense. In that respect it is your attitude, sense of self, and the state of your emotions that will answer the question of whether you are old or not. In other words, how you age has a lot to do with how you perceive yourself.
There are no shortcuts to longevity, but if you believe in the research regarding aging, you may stay younger longer than you might think. Do you remember when you thought everyone over 30 was old? Do you remember your parents ever not being old? Our perception of old age is quite different now than it was when we were younger. We no longer think we are old at 60 or 70 or even 80, and that is a really good thing. The next generation of children will grow up having an entirely different perspective of aging.
If you admit that you are old to yourself it stands to reason that others will perceive you as old too, so I guess that the person you really need to convince is yourself. Older people are vital human beings; even a few physical limitations should not imply inadequacy. It stands to reason that older people should have maximum participation into how their lives are going to spin out. The important thing is not to succumb to the funk associated with big birthdays, whether it is 30-40-50-60 or beyond. Celebrate these milestones by throwing a party. Celebrate where you are going instead of where you have been. Continue to invest your time and energy into doing what you love to do.
So, how do you keep this new attitude from wearing off? It will involve a considerable amount of effort on your part and a lot of good choices. Control your weight, exercise, and eat wisely. You should be able go on feeling new for a very long time. The object is to take care of yourself, have fun, and live the best life ever.
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