For today’s Sunday Poser, Sadje wants to know…
Have you ever been a victim of Ageism? Has the society or people around you ever deemed it necessary to tell you what you can or cannot do as per your age? How do you react?
I remember when I was about 60 and I had just gotten a new pair of inline skates (aka roller blades). I guess I thought I was better at rollerblading than I actually was. I took a spill and tried to break my fall with my arm, but I ended up fracturing my wrist.
After my injury I was moping around feeling sorry for myself and my brother-in-law gave me some sound advice. He said, “The next time you’re thinking about rollerblading, take out your wallet, look at your driver’s license, focus on your birthdate, and take note of how old you are.”
I should have done that last year before I climbed up on a ladder to clean my gutters, fell off the ladder, and broke my hip!
But I digress. I am more likely than anyone else to be cognizant of my age these days and to set boundaries for myself. I do not think that I have personally been a victim of ageism.
That said, I think society generally ignores people over 70. We’re here, but nobody sees us. The only people who send me mail these days are funeral homes, crematoriums, and assisted living communities for seniors. They are reminding me that my days are numbered and I need to plan for my after-death accommodations. Or that I’ve only got so much time left before my mind or body goes, so I’d better think, while I still can, about where to spend the rest of my life before I get sent to the funeral home or crematorium of my choice.
But that’s okay. With the direction society is taking, I’d just as soon be ignored than have some 21st century brown-shirted snot report me to the authorities who have decided that I’m no longer a productive citizen and to ship me off to the glue factory.
And on that happy note, I think I’ll take a leisurely stroll toward the sunset.
This, That, and the Other 
I think the restrictions we set on ourselves are fine as we know ourselves better than anyone else. But for people to tell us what we can or can’t do is not right. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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Everyone who is 65 or older should be sent to Florida where they can croak.
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Heaven forbid!
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I guess it is better to hear from the retirement communities and funeral homes than getting more bills in the mail. Oh, I also hear a lot from AARP and the hearing aid places.
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Yes, those too! 😁
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When a student at my school described me as elderly I had to laugh. I am nearly sixty and don’t consider myself as old.
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I fell, while on skates, am going to physical therapy now… no one has told me I shouldn’t ever put on skates because of my age. Not my sons, not my significant other, not the doctor who ordered x-rays, not the physical therapists, not my neighbors. At the same time that I bought skates, I decided to start walking around the house sometimes in heels for exercise. I recently wore a pair of heels for an occasion recognizing the retirement of a music conductor. However, I have a rule that I will follow… not to get on ladders.
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That last rule is a good one! 😉
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