Age is such a funny thing. I have never had trouble getting older. I mean I have gotten older with no trouble at all. It was quite easy in fact. What I mean is it never bothered me to turn 30, 40, 50, 60, or... Well, I'll have to admit 70 was a little harder because I woke up one morning and there I was. I had arrived. Somewhat befuddle I sat up, rubbed my eyes and wondered how in the world I had ever gotten there. I didn't even remember buying tickets to 70. I felt like I was still 40, but that was impossible. I couldn't be the same age as my kids. Yet I still thought of my self as...well, as my kids' ages.
What gets me now are reports in the newspaper or on TV that go something like this, "An elderly woman was injured in a traffic accident this afternoon. The 65 year-old woman was transported to the local hospital where she is listed in satisfactory condition."
When I read "elderly" and 65 referring to the same person I blink in disbelief, re-adjust my triifocals, turn the light up a little brighter, and think about reaching for a magnifying glass to make sure I read the small print correctly. Yes, 65 is what it says. You have got to be kidding me. I certainly am not elderly at 70, therefore I couldn't have been elderly at 65, and neither is that lady in the paper.
I think that the whipper-snapper of a reporter must be 20 years old and considers his parents old at 40. In fact, he probably thinks they are turning elderly on their next birthdays. So be it.
Many years ago, when my mother was the age I am now, I went to watch her bowl (as in roll the ball and knock down pins, not as in ceramic, china, or stainless steel). On the way to the lanes, she told me about an old lady who bowled with her. As I sat behind the team bench, I tried to determine which bowler was the old lady. I didn't have a clue. They all had white hair on their heads, "character lines" on their faces, prominent veins on their hands, and looked to be at least as old as my mother. But what did I know? I was only 50 at the time. All the ladies looked old to me. They weren't elderly, just old(er).
Now, whenever I find myself referring to someone as an "older person", I stop, laugh a little, then add the comment, "about my age." I'm fairly certain none of us, no matter our age, will ever admit we have reached "elderly" because "elderly" exists only in the minds of reporters and newscasters, and should stay there.
Now, after I have spouted off about one of my pet peeves, I will remove myself from my mini soapbox, and hop, skip, and jump down the hall to bed. On second thought maybe I won't. I probably would fall flat on my face, have to call 911, and end up in the newspaper's Ambulance Report as an elderly lady who fell down and couldn't get up. That just won't do.
Have a God evening everyone. I have.
Jan
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