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I’ve been chuckling for a few days now over a line I heard in Jane Seymour’s series “Harry Wild” on Prime TV. Jane’s character, “Harry”, is a newly-retired 70-something professor who butts in to and solves her son’s police cases. In exasperation the detective son finally commands, “Go do old lady stuff! Go knit or plant flowers!” Of course as a crime solving sleuth, she is not about to do that sort of “stuff.” |
A few days later, while I was mucking out my horses’ stalls, busy with my own “old lady stuff”, that humorous line got me to thinking about aging and its many negative stereotypes. Certainly, my own “old lady stuff” includes lots of growing things, but also daily walks with my three golden retrievers, riding my horses, boogie boarding, watercolor painting, and mooning over my baby great granddaughter. Activities I’ve enjoyed across my life, not just old lady stuff. |
Continuing to think along these lines about aging, and the many jokes about old people, I recalled a recent “inspirational blog” which dropped into my email. Coincidentally it was on aging, making the point that “even if you are so old as 80’s, 90’s, or 100’s breathing in is still living;” that old people do enjoy “breathing in.” The writer continued, “They show up for meals, play cards, share stories, and yes sometimes take a nap or move a bit slower. That does not make them lazy. They are living.” |
Omg!! I was bristling! Certainly there is truth in this, that article continued, ‘it is still living.” Well of course it is! My 101 year old mother who recently passed away, totally enjoyed her life, despite health issues, limited mobility and blindness! What bugs me in such writings is that these descriptors of what it is to be old often over- shadow some of the immense plus sides of living a long time. |
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Retired for 15 years now and a card carrying octogenarian, I wonder if, perhaps, many writing about old people are younger and are simply looking in to this emeritus stage of human life rather than viewing it from within? What they focus on must seem scary; decline, ill health, set-backs. While that is all true, it is not the whole story. If one is lucky enough to look from within the ranks of the elderly, a more enlightening picture emerges! |
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Look there and you can see lots of positives on which to focus. Ken and I love that song by Toby Keith, “Don’t Let the Old Man in!” It was in a Clint Eastwood movie a few years back, The Mule, in which 90-plus year old Eastwood took on the bad guys. Ken and I often joke around saying, “don’t let the old person in!” Anyway, What I observe from looking within is that so many of my age mates and others older yet, that they are doing just that, “not letting the old dude in,” and are thriving. |
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My view from within focuses on the beauty of this later stage of life. I get that we are lucky to have lived for so many years. Plus we can enjoy the magical elixir of having time. What a luxury! Very many of us are enjoying every second of these bonus years. I see vibrant engaged old people all around me robustly grabbing at life. |
Stereotype-defying seniors are all around us doing important work in the world. Over 20% of the U.S. Congress, for example is comprised of 70-plus year-olds. More than 17% of pickleball players are over 70. Older people star in television and film. While Jane Seymour, to name one actress, plays a 70-something character, she actually is well past 70. Then there is the hilarious duo of Grace and Frankie in a long-running Netflix series, played by Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Fonda is 87 and Tomlin is 85! Active, engaged old folks are all around us, volunteering, working, enjoying families and friends, exercising and contributing to the world’s work.
There’s so much more than decline and naps. |
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You know how much my volunteer docent work at Mission San Juan Capistrano means to me. My fellow docents are mostly very much senior citizens who are passionate about sharing the Mission’s story with our thousands of annual guests.
My beloved Corvette car club is filled with many fired-up and enthusiastic older people. When I am out on the horse trail lots of the other riders whom we pass are older people. Travel groups are also frequently comprised of senior people who have the benefits of time and financial security. |
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The point is that if we look closely enough it is easy to find older people thriving.
Maybe it is time for me to stop feeling the sting of old people jokes and remember that the jokesters should be so lucky as to have so many decades to enjoy life. Imagine, older people get to enjoy seeing their story unfold into their 80's. 90’s and beyond.
I wish you a happy rest of your summer. For now I’m going to go pull some weeds in my garden, I might smile to myself as I do my “old lady stuff” and celebrate the gift of life, understanding that no matter which decade it finds us in, we are lucky to have it.
You know I love to know what you have been thinking about. Have you been finding some entertaining “stuff” to do? I would love to know about it. My best, donna |
