A Healthy Attitude

We’re not our parents’ or grandparents’ embodiment of old. Being elderly “ain’t what it used to be.” When we consider how our elders aged, it is not necessarily a valid road map for us. Many of our generation are refusing to behave as if they are over the hill. We are staying fit, engaged in physical activity, aware of current events, exercising our minds (formally in classes and on our own), dating, having sex, and seeking new lifestyles. We are not acting as if getting older is the end of the line but are enjoying a new-found freedom from expired responsibilities. We are pursuing activities that are pleasurable and exciting as we gain greater self-awareness and wisdom. We are intent on remaining relevant.

 There are roughly 20 million living members of the Silent Generation (born between 1928 and 1945) and 75 million Boomers (1946-1964) in the US. We have shocked and annoyed the establishment since day one. We have questioned authority and refused to play by the rules. We have rebelled against traditional gender roles, brought marijuana into the mainstream, and revolutionized sexual norms. So why stop now? As seniors, we may feel invisible to younger people, but do we really want to go quietly into the night? Nobody is looking at us, so let’s break out of the box – again! Why not? Let’s go out on fire. Let’s do stuff.