This Grandma listens to her elders. They have the wisdom and experience of long years. GG (Great Grandmother), my mother-in-law, now close to age 93, divides up aging, according to her perspective, into two distinct periods, “young old” and “old old.” She reminds us to do everything we want to do while we are “young old,” which she says lasts until about age 84. She said once you hit “old old,” you slow down and you do not want to or cannot do as much as when you are “young old.”
This Grandma has been on the run every since, completing bucket lists, focusing and choosing what needs to be prioritized to be finished during the “young old” stage of life. But, then, I started thinking about this timing and whether it applies to our Boomer Generation.
After much thought, I think that GG is right for her generation and what applies to her generation, but, I do not think the span of “young old” ending at age 84 applies to our generation. Or, at least, I surely hope we have at least until age 90 before we Boomers hit “old old.” I think there are at least five good reasons why.
FOREVER YOUNG
First, we Boomers are not like our parents’ generation in thinking and acting. Our parents were Frank Sinatra “Young at Heart.” We are Rod Stewart “Forever Young.” We dress younger. We act younger. We appear younger overall. We do not accept “old” and fight aging every step of the way, and it shows. Our exercising and taking care of our bodies is beyond what our parents’ generation contemplated or did.
Being social and active is important to longevity, and we Boomers exercise more, are joiners and involved historically so that should contribute to our longer well being.
MEDICAL MIRACLES
Second, every day we are hearing of new medical breakthroughs that affect our health and longevity. This Grandma thought the medical miracles were going to be too late for us Boomers, but now I rethink that. In the AARP Bulletin, March 2016, and other recent publications, we are hearing that the cancer survival rate is not only increasing, but people are living better lives, even with a cancer diagnosis. There are hopeful and promising breakthroughs in even the most deadly cancers. We recently heard about 91 year old Former President Jimmy Carter and immunotherapies and gene targeted therapies. Heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses that could shorten our lives are now at a point in research and development where our Boomer generation might be able to benefit in longer and healthier lives.
REDEFINING RETIREMENT
Third, we Boomers are redefining what our parents’ generation coveted….retirement. We want our brains and our bodies healthy and thriving and we do not intend to stop. We look at a longer life as an opportunity to expand our horizons. We do not feel limited by our age, but see our age as bringing advantages in wisdom and experience that make us more valuable.
We are on social media, on the golf course, and also running marathons. We are still in the boardrooms. The New York Times, April 5, 2016 had an article, “Wanted: Cruise Lecturers Who Mingle and Take Good Selfies,” by Julie Weed, about cruise lecturers being sought by a company called Compass Speakers and Entertainment, a provider of cruise line programming, a perfect balance for those of us Boomers who have experience in what they are seeking now, experts who are sociable as well as can expertly communicate and entertain on archeology, geology, history and politics, among other areas.
Time Magazine December 28, 2015-January 4, 2016 had an article on “Interns with a Bit More Gray in Their Hair,” by Dan Kadlec, about large corporations who offer phased retirement that allows employees to wind down bit by bit, and about volunteer opportunities with Teach for America, with 27% of its volunteers having professional experience, and with the Peace Corps, which has its Response Program, offering shorter commitments for professionals with at least ten years of experience and has 7% of volunteers over age 50 .
In the New York Times, Saturday, April 16, 2016, Mark Miller wrote about how we Boomers are “Taking On the Ph. D. Later in Life, For Career or Just Because.” Universities are creating “pragmatic doctoral programs that can be completed more quickly than seven or eight years traditionally required to earn a Ph.D.” targeting those of us looking to expand our educational horizons to second careers, or to just use our brains.
We have much to contribute to our own lives, to the lives of those we love, and to our
community. This Grandma thinks we are going to remake the definition of life-work balance in our Boomer generation.
AGE IS JUST A NUMBER
Fourth, if those in their nineties today look as good as they do, then we will look better. GG is always mistaken for being in her 70’s. In one recent People Magazine issue, there were current photographs of Doris Day. See for yourself how wonderful she looks at age 92.
Her quotes mimic GG’s view on life: “Age is just a number. How you feel and live your life is more important. . . .I feel young and I enjoy good and healthy things,” she said. “Live life to the fullest … It’s not coming back again.” Gloria Vanderbilt just appeared in an HBO special with her son, Anderson Cooper. She also appears in the same People edition. Also age 92, she looks marvelous. See for yourself.
Her quote at age 92 on People.com is priceless and give us Boomers pause and hope: “When asked what she could talk about all day (for hours on end), Vanderbilt answered confidently: “sex.”” We can only hope that she does more than talk about sex at age 92 and that there is hope for us in the future. Anderson Cooper was embarrassed by her quote, and, we Boomers could not imagine that our parents had sex anytime, much less in their 70s, not 90’s! We now know better about the 70s and hope life will still get better, in all aspects of our life.
Since all three of these beautiful ladies look and act and enjoy a live that is at least twenty years younger than their chronological ages, they are the role models of our future. We Boomer grandmas have to expect that we too will have such youthfulness. After all, the market place is recognizing who we are and what we want and what we have to spend on what we want.
MY DOCTOR SAYS SO
Finally, fifth, and most important, when with my doctor this week, I asked if I was on the right track. Can we Boomers possibly move “old old” up from about age 84 to at least age ninety for our generation. He said, “absolutely.” I believe everything he says, especially when it is something I want to hear.
To all of our health, and happiness, and longer years in our “young old” futures with
Joy,
Mema
Comments