Now Am I Old? A Question I Ask More Lately.
I recently celebrated another birthday, as I do around this time of year…every year. It is funny how that happens.
Another birthday makes me “older”, but does it make me “old”?
Well, that depends.
It depends on who you ask, when you ask, in what country you are asking, are we talking biological or chronological age, and why do you want to know.
I don’t feel any different than I felt yesterday. But I don’t feel 18 anymore, and nobody is checking my ID, except maybe for senior discounts. That is just how aging goes, and I am fine with that.
In the real world the word “old” is a 3 letter word that acts like a 4 letter word. We don’t want to say it out loud, and heaven forbid, you don’t want to call anyone old.
However, if you add 2 little letters at the end of the word it is now ok. The word older is fine. By the way, this trick does not work for the 4 letter words. Just say’in.
But, am I old?
As it turns out, there is no official agreed upon age at which we become old as I discovered during the research for my book. Nope, nada, none.
But there is a whole lot of chatter and opinions regarding the concept of- What is old?
The Older Americans Act uses 60-65 as a start of “older adulthood” programs. Did you notice the “er” at the end of the word?
A 2017 study found that millennials said that old age starts at 59 (you can just take your participation trophy and leave). Gen X says 65, and Boomers said we don’t get old until we turn 73. This sorta suggests that old is just older than we are.
A 2024 study in The Psychology and Aging Journal suggested that the new old starts around 74. Starts around?
Some researchers suggest looking at prospective age- how many years of functional health would be a good marker for old.
Well, that clears things up.
All of this confusion does leave us with a very good solution. We get to decide if we are old.
Happy aging.
Enjoy your day,
Just a little extra-
So… how old am I and am I old. Thank you for asking. I just turned 71. Am I old? Yes and no.
Yes, by most of our cultural standards, I might be considered old. And I am ok with that.
But I do not agree with the long version of the definition of old, especially when you get to the synonym section- obsolete, over-the-hill, overage, and decrepit. No, that does not describe me.
I prefer to think of old as an achievement, something to be celebrated. In a very real sense it is an achievement, and the older we get, the more we should celebrate.
Let’s do this. Let’s get old together.
References
Cole, Garry. February 2024. Are We Old Yet? (Yes, I used my book as a reference)