Seniors 
 

The term senior, as applied to a person of retirement age, has always greatly annoyed me. Why do we always classifying everything, especially people.  Classification divides and separates people. It makes people feel different and quite often inferior or defensive against others who may have a more elevated status in our society. We need more togetherness, and oneness in the world, not separatism.  

Religion is a good example of this.  Religions tend to promote a feeling of righteousness amongst the people of a certain religion and a feeling that other religions are inferior. Religion has been a key element of many wars.

Sorry for the digression, back to the term seniors. 

As you know I promote the term Ageless Living, which is about getting better and enjoying life more as we age. This entails taking care of our body/minds so that we are able to impart our wisdom as we age.  

Why should we begin treating people at age 65, like they need help. We have senior discounts, why?  Most people who have worked for that long have more money than people in their twenties and thirties. We have senior centers, why? All of a sudden why do people age 65 and up have no other place to go to entertain themselves or to get information? We have Medicare.  Again, we arbitrarily assume people at this age need all of this expensive medicine and treatments. When in fact most of it actually accelerates their physical and mental decline. Why do we systematically push people age 65 and older out of mainstream society, when they are the ones with the most experience and wisdom?  

When you reach 60 in this society you begin getting solicitations to plan for your demise, to join certain groups to isolate you more form society. The worst part of these supposedly good intentions, is that it programs people into thinking that’s what’s going to happen to them.  They begin to believe that they are going to get old and sick and need someone to care for them.

“Seniors” are being ridiculed with bad jokes and dulled with medications. Its no wonder most people believe in old age. What we believe is what we create in our lives. 

What if we taught people that they were supposed to get better with age so they could give back their knowledge and wisdom as the years go by?

The other day I saw an outrageous article about fitness for seniors. It suggested that seniors could pick up 5 pound bags of potatoes and hold them up for as long as they could for exercise. The author was telling us people over 65 aren’t capable of working out in a gym like younger people. Then we have nutritional supplements for seniors, which is just a marketing ploy to sell more products. When we reach a certain age why should we begin to believe in our lack of ability to do things like everyone else? 

My suggestion is to forget about our age, live in the present and do the best we can everyday.