The perils of aging

(Grade school photos with a simple signature on the back, Love Suzy.)

My post last week received several responses from my readers. It appears I am not alone in my thinking. Thank you for your comments, messages, and emails. It’s always helpful to hear others’ opinions, thoughts, and suggestions. For instance, Doris’ suggestion to consider volunteering is a fabulous idea. Volunteering for a cause dear to one’s heart is a great way to stay connected and feel vital as we age. 

But what does one do who still needs the income? How do we re-educate the world that those cute little sayings, 40 is the new 50, etc., are actually true? How do we teach a throw-away society that repurposing people as well as objects is important for the future health of our world?

The good news is that, for now, the world seems to be coming to grips with the fact that we are facing a severe crisis going forward if we do not make significant changes in our ways. There is no end to documentaries that explain the changes in our rain forests and oceans, the problem with our fishing industries, etc. 

We baby boomers are the first line of defense in the war against ageism. We have a unique and special gift of being a generation that has benefited from advanced and innovative healthcare, which has the potential to extend our life expectancy by a decade or more.

That makes us pioneers, and as such, we have a unique battle to wage. We can’t really expect our youth to be worried about what to do with the growing number of seniors that can’t find work or afford their health expenses as they live to be 90 or 100. The younger generation is struggling in their own right, wondering what to do with the world we will be leaving them with all of its very frightening problems.

Here’s my thinking just for starters on how we can help ourselves change how seniors are perceived. I will write this in terms of a senior looking for employment, but these ideas are universal.

Number one, whatever we are trying to succeed in, we need to be our biggest advocate! And that might sound simple. But for us baby boomers, maybe not, and it’s essential to understand ourselves. Tell me if you agree…

I grew up in an age when my actions were far more important than my grades. My report card had one side for the letter grade and another side for my citizenship, which could be a plus or a minus. And I’m here to tell you if I had a minus on my citizenship, I was in trouble, but not so much if I came home with a C- for the subject matter. 

I didn’t learn about college in grade school. I didn’t have a phone by fifth grade. I didn’t have an arsenal of personal photos by the time I was 13. I had just enough yearly school photos to give to my best friends signed “Love Suzy” on the back. I never bragged about myself because if I did, I’d be labeled as conceited or, worse yet, stuck up. Right? We didn’t have classes or counseling to help us learn to love ourselves. We didn’t get participation trophies. We were just lucky if we had a family that showed us love and was proud of us. Some people didn’t even have that, or even if they did, their parents were old school and didn’t show it. 

As such, many of us baby boomers have difficulty crusading as our own biggest advocates because we haven’t been appropriately wired. How can we fake it, or better yet, connect those wires to catch up?

As we move through this new time, we must walk through the door exuding confidence. If we can’t bring that, we likely are dead in the water. We don’t need to be loud or braggadocious (there’s a word for you), but we must own our strength and the value of our years, all that we have learned, and all that we have to share. If we can find the strength to step into our truth, we’ll have them at Hello.

Loving ourselves is always the first step. We can work from there if we can just ease into that simple task. 

Changing our expectations is also crucial. We must not claim defeat if we find it necessary to adjust because we are aging. I trust the universe to always offer a path. I will confess I have judged the paths I’ve been offered at times. I’ve likely turned down some great experiences. But thankfully, I incorporated a bit of humility along the way and began to allow for my aging. And once I got out of my own way, I opened the door that in turn led me to this love affair I am having with writing in my senior years. Baby steps can have a way of adding up to the journey of a lifetime.

Please share your ideas and suggestions for overcoming the perils of aging. It takes a village.