This month I'm dedicating my blog posts to Healthy Aging in celebration of Older Americans Month! I just discovered that May was Older Americans Month yesterday and it made me wonder if I would be considered an "Older American." At Age 61, I probably qualify. So I'm just wondering why no one sent me any "Happy Older Americans Month!" greeting cards! Maybe it's because I'm kind of a younger older American.
If we want to be very literal about the word, "Older," it would only be appropriate to send cards to those who are older than oneself. However, in this case, I think the word, "Older" was used because it sounded better than "Old." "Oldish" might also work. Or how about "Elder" or "Senior"?
Let's just face it, the word "Old" and its synonyms all have a rather negative connotation.
No one, except perhaps a 6-year-old or a 19-year-old with a fake license feels particularly happy about being told they "look old."
I've known many a friend who when getting that first notice at age 50 that they're eligible for AARP, act supremely offended, throwing the ad hastily in the trash and proclaiming, "Not yet, AARP! I'm not ready to be labeled as old!" (OK, maybe that was me, but I'm sure other people do it, too.)
This article makes a lot of good points about the variation in what might be considered "old." We also have to take into account that "50 is the new 30" and all those other sayings about how what was considered old when we were younger is no longer considered that old. That's partly because with advancements in medicine, our life expectancies have gotten longer. (Maybe we should just add a new category like "really old" or "ancient" for those older older Americans.)
I think in general, though, people don't like to be labeled as old. Those Baby Boomers who thought their grandparents were old at 65 are now 65 themselves. They're redefining what it means to be 65 (and it's NOT that negative image of "old" they had in their heads when they were teens!)
Personally, I don't like labeling people based on "generations" such as "Baby Boomers" either. I was born in 1960 so I'm considered a young Boomer (those born between 1946 and 1964) and I don't think I'm anything like the description of a stereotypical Baby Boomer.
These false stereotypes, about any generation, young or old, are divisive. Similar to stereotypes about race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, and politics, when we make assumptions about people, it leads to unfair biases.
In our culture, we typically are negative about "getting older." We talk and joke about all the negative stuff.. going "downhill" both mentally and physically. While I think humor is important, we are spreading this narrative that getting older is to be feared.
Last month I went to a very informative AARP lecture called "The Art of Aging." (Yes, I did reach the age where I embraced AARP as a treasure chest of helpful and entertaining resources!)
One important point was this: Those who look forward to aging will be happier and healthier as they grow older. We must stop this negative narrative about aging or it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy!
Many cultures revere their elders and honor their experience and wisdom. Growing older is not something to be feared, but to be anticipated. But in order to look forward to aging, we need our minds to get on board! We need to have confidence that we will tackle our challenges and be resilient. We need to inspire the youth so that they see aging as a positive thing.
So how old is older? It could be 30, it could be 65, it could be 101, it could be the age you'll be tomorrow. But whatever age it is, for me, I will not just be older, I will be better, because I'll be wiser than I am right now! And maybe someone will send me a "Happy Older American Month" Greeting Card!
