If there’s one thing guaranteed to drive me mad, it’s some baby-faced busybody suggesting that I should ‘take it easy’ as I approach the big 8-0.
Don’t even get me started on those adverts which show older folk only interested in shopping for stairlifts and cat food. My sense of adventure is very much still intact and I know I’m not the only one – so why are us golden oldies so readily written off?
Older people are likely to be stereotyped as frail, ill and dependent and to be viewed as having low social status. Findings from the European Social Study revealed people aged 70 and over are seen as contributing relatively little to the economy and being a ‘burden on health services’. In fact they contribute £152 billion to the economy through work, caregiving and volunteering.
It’s unfortunate that such negative views are so frequently expressed and perpetuated.
I like to think that perhaps youngsters buy into this stereotyping because they’re jealous of our been-there-done-that confidence, only authentically displayed by someone who has a good fistful of decades in the bank of life?
More truthfully though, I think it’s often forgotten that – despite a slight slowing of the pace of our lives, changes in our health and the level of collagen in our skin – we are still individuals with passions, interests, desires and great stories to tell.
Do David Attenborough, Meryl Streep or June Brown feel the need to take to their bed with tea and slippers just because they’ve reached a certain age? I think not.
We have a lot to offer and most of us are still a lot of fun. We desperately need to rehabilitate the image of what it means to be older.
When I think of the most active and inspirational people in the public eye, a good handful of them would qualify for a free bus pass. But are Oprah Winfrey or Morgan Freeman swapping the red carpet for a bingo hall?
Do David Attenborough, Meryl Streep or June Brown feel the need to take to their bed with tea and slippers just because they’ve reached a certain age? I think not.
These trailblazers are the positive role models our generation so needs.
I’m taking a leaf out Meryl’s book. I’m not going to behave like I’ve nothing left to offer just because society expects it of me, and nor should anyone who’s considered ‘old’.
I believe there’s absolutely no reason why I should lose my joie-de-vivre as I reach the peak of life.
As we reach older age, we should use our savings and our sense to pursue what really makes us happy, rather than bowing to society’s expectation that we are diminished with every year that passes.
Not to mention the fact that physical activity has been identified by Age UK as one of the key factors in promoting and enhancing overall quality of life for older people.
To tell you the truth, I feel more vivacious and fabulous now than I ever have. It might be something to do with refusing to ‘act my age’, as I chase after adventures, activities and new challenges.
I’ve scoffed kangaroo bits in the I’m A Celeb Jungle, strutted my stuff on the Come Dance with Me for Comic Relief stage, and survived the rollercoaster-ride that is Celebrity Big Brother.
Each experience taught me something new about myself and I don’t regret getting out of my comfort zone for one second.
I know full well that not all of us older people are able to go skydiving, bungee jumping or on holiday to Thailand. Financial and health constraints can’t be ignored.
But it is possible for everyone to find an adventure that keeps them smiling and helps them feel alive.
I’m done with the pigeon-holing and stereotyping that contributes to a lack of confidence in later life, and want to encourage my fellow over-65-ers to step out of their comfort zone, grab a hold of that inner confidence, and reclaim their sense of adventure.
This doesn’t have to mean doing something completely outrageous – but something that feels adventurous to you. Whatever your age, state of health, level of mobility or financial status, there’s always something you can do to bring back that youthful vitality.
Big or small, it’s time to do something that makes you feel like the winner you are.
I’m calling for us golden oldies to stop behaving like society might expect. Hang up your dressing gown and dig out an outfit which makes you feel a million dollars.
Buy yourself an advent calendar and eat all the chocolates in one sitting. Re-paint your living room in a colour which your niece thinks is too loud.
Take the grandkids to the park and have a go on the swings. Call up your friends and plan a night on the tiles.
You can show the youngsters how to do it properly. Trust me my loves – it’s the little adventures which will give you a whole new lease of life.
Most importantly, promise me you’ll never tell yourself that you’re too old to do something you love.
Kim Woodburn is supporting Red Letter Days.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2019/10/26/im-in-my-70s-but-i-dont-plan-on-slowing-down-any-time-soon-10960897/
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