Listen To The Older Voices

I’m Not Done

Sponsored by CrisDental

I’m starting to experience my age.

No, I’m not slowing down.

I can still run up and down hills and push myself harder than I did when I was in my 30’s.

The difference between 40 and 65 is other people.

In the past and in other cultures, age is revered.

Moses was seen as wise not over the hill.

People did their best work when they reached the age of over 100 years.

In America, people discount those over 60.

I can’t tell you how many times a young buck has come on my page and with no good reasoning discounted me for my age. They call you “Boomer”, “Old Man” and make fun of you for being older.

I remember years ago I did a story on an older woman who was truly amazing.

At the end of the story I said something like “isn’t she cute?”

A viewer wrote me, what at the time, seemed like a nasty letter.

She scolded me for calling the woman cute and told me how demeaning that term was to older people.

Some of you know how I can get. LOL

I barked back.

We fought with words for a while until something struck me.

I started asking her questions.

She told me she was a lesbian and was treated better for her sexuality that she was for being old.

Yes, she said she was more discriminated against for her age than being gay.

I asked her to come on my live KEZI Water Cooler interview segment and share her story.

For many years we stayed in contact and now I find myself being reminded of her words.

I don’t think I should have respect automatically or being given grace because I’m 65.

But I think it shows people’s ignorance when they automatically reject someone’s ideas simply because of age.

Other cultures seek the wisdom of the past and that means listening to the older voices.

America has a rich resource in it’s older population and perhaps we should look beyond the age spots and wrinkles as we Make America Great Again.