Old.
A heavily charged word.
Often associated with something surpassed by something
newer, something improved, something more ''current''.
What about human beings?
How do we view ''old'' people?
We all know that aging is a part of the human experience,
but do we really know, or want to know, what it feels like
to evolve from being a ''person'' to being an old person?
As a society, how do we treat our old people?
In the midst of a pandemic that seems to affect the elderly
worse than other age groups, the media has made it
quite obvious that we (here in the western world)
more often than not do not treat the elderly with compassion
and understanding.
Often, perhaps without us really being aware of it,
old age may be one of those subjects we just don't want
to think about. We may even feel somewhat annoyed with
those pesky, try-hard ''baby-boomers'' who just don't seem
to know when to retire and ''take down the plaque''.
60's is the new 50's, 70's is the new 60's and so on.
Where ever one goes, there they seem to be. In the coffee shops,
on the bike tracks, in the gyms, in the swimming pools,
at yoga, on the hiking trail, (often dressed in colourful Lycra)
on the beach, etc.etc.
Some of them even seem to get a new lease of life once they
have retired! Some sell their houses, buy camper-vans, boats, buses,
and start to travel.
Some get engaged in charity, community, and other kinds of
volunteering work. Some join classes: pottery, painting, writing,
computer, music, counseling, etc.etc.
Some embrace technology and become wizards at most
i-thingy's.
Baby-boomers, what have they really contributed to society?
* That it is important to be an informed member of society and
to question governmental authority.
(Remember Watergate? The Vietnam war?)
* We inhabit one environment, one planet.
Conservation of the environment and the planet,
is not a political or financial issue,
it's a ''survival of the planet'' issue.
(Greenpeace was established in 1971.)
* The need for us to be involved in our communities:
Civil rights and women's rights, aka human rights
need to be fought for for a more egalitarian society.
* Art is not just a pretty picture, or a beautiful piece
of music, it can be
a powerful agent that can be used to generate
cultural/societal change.
(In 1969, Jimi Hendrix performed a rendition of the
''Star-spangled Banner'' at Woodstock in which he was
able to capture the essence of the very complicated
issue of the Vietnam war on his guitar. (May be
worth a listen.))
* DNA fingerprinting, the implantable artificial heart,
The Apple II, The World Wide Web, The Universal Serial
Bus port (USB) are just a few Boomer inventions.
Aging is part of the human experience, how we deal with it
however is up to each of us.
Some say: ''You're only as old as you feel''.
Recent studies have shown that there is merit to that saying,
but I would like to add to that: ''and think".
Age, in my view does not have to determine how we think.
Embracing change, being passionate,
curious, compassionate, caring, mindful, interested,
thoughtful, etc.etc. is not determined by our age
but our willingness to have and keep an open mind.
''The sooner growing older is stripped of reflexive dread,
the better equipped we are to benefit from the
countless ways in which it can enrich us.''
(Ashton Applewhite)
about the image: acrylic on canvas
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