Dear Andy:
Barry here. Fellow baby boomer, New Yorker and retired PR executive with a few retail fashion clients, so you can say we are kind of like family. You’re an R, I’m a D but I’m sure we can find a middle ground.
I was reading a news report today about an elderly woman who fell down. She was, get this..70!!
Elderly? Was soon-to-expire not the right phrase? Was there a ‘don’t purchase after this date’ engraved on her cane?
Of course, I took offense as I spent more than a decade at the very cool MTV, worked in radio and blazed a pr trail in the technology sector before any of these reporters were born. No, I’m still too young to yell at the kids to stay off my lawn or complain about the loudness of their music. I turn 70 on July 30.
So, rather than get insulted by the term “elderly,” I looked up where and how it was used. I found out the term is used by..you guessed it..the S.S.A. and I quote from your website: “According to the United States Social Security Administration, anyone age 65 or older is “elderly.”
I don’t describe myself as elderly, nor do my friends who just turned 65, and not even my 91-year-young mother-in-law thinks of herself as elderly. It’s a bit demeaning to the previous group, the Greatest Generation, who brought us civil rights, were teachers, and workers, and fought or gave their lives in war. Surely there must be a better word.
What ones to consider? Mature, aged, venerable, or seasoned to name a few.
Ones to avoid? On the last leg, knocking on heaven’s door, over the hill, long in the tooth or no spring chicken.
What to do? Well, the S.S.A. has become the ‘cable company’ of the 2020s, the organization, people love to hate.
Here’s an idea. Have a national competition among those receiving social security benefits to pick the best word to describe those of 65. The winner gets, oh..I dunno..money? a trip? A prize? An amendment that bears their name?
Think of the optics and pr brand burnishing you’ll experience. I would make my case further, but I have physical therapy at noon. Yeah. Off to Iceland to hike and then Antarctica in the Fall, wisely using the benefits I get from you folks. I’m excited. It makes me feel..well..venerable, seasoned, and mature beyond my years.
i leave prose to the poets and just got this from my friend Fred, who wrote this, with help from AI..Ahhh.AI:The End of humanity As we know it. but wonderful poem. In twilight's gentle glow, we gather near,
With wisdom etched upon our faces, clear.
Yet, the world has a name for us, it seems,
A term that leaves us chuckling in our dreams.
They call us "elderly," as if we're frail,
But we've got spunk and stories we regale.
We've danced through life, with grace and style,
And still, we find ourselves going the extra mile.
We've lived through times of war and peace,
Seen love and loss, our memories increase.
But "elderly" they say, as if we're done,
Yet we're vibrant souls, forever young.
We've climbed mountains, both real and metaphorical,
And crossed oceans, proving we're historical.
We've faced life's challenges, stood tall and strong,
With a sense of humor that keeps us going long.
Sure, our bones may creak and groan at times,
But our spirits soar, reaching limitless climbs.
We're seasoned warriors, with wisdom to impart,
Don't let the term "elderly" fool your heart.
So let us shed this label, so mundane,
And celebrate the joy that still remains.
For we are vibrant, full of life's sweet zest,
Not merely "elderly," but simply at our best.
Call us experienced, wise, and full of grace,
But please, not "elderly" in this lively race.
For age is just a number, a fleeting notion,
We're forever young, in eternal motion.
So let's embrace our years, with laughter and glee,
And show the world what it truly means to be free.
No more complaints about the term they bestow,
For in our hearts, we'll forever glow.
Appreciating Klugertown again. In the prejudice world we live, perhaps the only thing that we can agree on, is that everyone dismisses the elderly, no matter what the color of their skin, religion or sexual preference. Until we reach that age, then the joke's on us.