Age is Wisdom

 I am finding that slowly but surely, the way the 'older' generation is perceived is changing. There was such a stigma attached to being OLD. If you had aquired some age on you, you were thought of as being frail, sickly, a burden, useless. You pretty much became invisible. As Mary Pipher says in her book, 'Women Rowing North' .... "I'm invisible now. I could take off all my clothes and walk through the courthouse and I'm not sure anyone would notice."  If they did notice, they'd probably think we were crazy as loons. 

However, the tide is turning. Old people are making their lives and their wisdom known. And, they aren't afraid of admitting their age. In fact they are proud of it. Take William Shatner who took to space at the ripe old age of  90. I can't imagine myself at 90 taking off into space but I really respect Shatner for doing it. What about Gladys Burrel who completed a marathon at age 92. And, Jamie Lee Curtis, bless her heart for being her true self. She knows who she is and she flaunts it. She's 65. 

I know that I am proud of every single moment of the entire 90 years I have lived. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. And, I am proud that I still am learning and growing and I will continue to do so until my last breath. As our bodies grow old, we must both care for our aging bodies and teach people to care about us.