This summer, I had the unique opportunity to spend time with some of the most well-known and sometimes, outspoken, thought leaders in the age space who offered two entirely different learning structures for their events. I gained a new perspective on collaboration and learning.
As we age, we need to create new traditions and new meanings for our changing lives in order to feel fulfilled and relevant. The get-togethers of friends can be as simple as meeting to play cards, or discussing books or politics, but such gatherings are essential to us, especially in later life.
The 100-year life isn’t a vision of the future. It is already here. There are almost 10,000 Canadian centenarians according to the last census. Eighty-five-year-olds are the fastest-growing age group and there are now more people aged 65 or older than there are children.
I’ve heard the expression, the ‘messy middle’, to describe the stage of life that those born between 1945-1964, or earlier, are living through today. The last of the Boomer generation will turn 65 in 2030 which means a large majority are experiencing a period of transition that can be both frightening, and exciting.
I frequently invite participants in our workshops to describe what “old” looks like to them. Typically, two out of three words offered have negative connotations which conjure up images of decrepit, solitary, and vulnerable individuals. It used to surprise me, but it no longer does.
In honour of the International Day of Older Persons on Oct. 1, Top Sixty Over Sixty hosted a session on ageing and ageism. The general consensus after an hour long discussion on how to deal with ageism was quite straightforward. The time has come to move beyond raising awareness about the issue to more action.
What is the first image that you conjure up when you think of someone who is elderly?
I began to ponder the similarities between the Feminist and Women’s Liberation movement of the 1960s and the increasing spread of today’s anti-ageism movement across the globe.