Depends on the day and what activity was going on. A weekend of yard work or helping someone move... I feel pretty old.


Embracing Aging: How old is old?

http://www.ydr.com/story/news/local/2016/01/07/becoming-older-adult-york-county/78404708/

Have you ever asked yourself at what age you become an older adult?Have you ever asked yourself at what age you become an older adult? The question was raised at a recent session to discuss the impact of ageism with adults of varying ages.

Participants shouted out their responses, which included 83; the age you get your AARP card; 65; when I’m the oldest one in the room; 70; never; 90; anyone who is older than me; and even 40!A few weeks ago, I asked a group of high school students this same question. They were a bit hesitant to respond. I don’t think they knew what to say or maybe they were afraid they might offend me.

The fact is, they never said a number out loud. However, one student shared that he can’t wait to be a grandpa because he thinks it will be a fulfilling and neat time in his life.Of course these varied responses were no surprise: after all, there’s no right or wrong answer to the question “how old is old?” So many factors feed into how someone responds to this question that it’s no wonder there wasn’t consistency in the ages shared.So how do we measure age?

There’s our chronological age, which affords us certain rights, like driving at age 16, voting and serving in the military at age 18, and legally drinking at age 21. Yet, as we get older, the chronological age becomes somewhat arbitrary, such as one’s retirement and pension age. Then there’s the alternative definition for age, called cultural age. This combines our chronological age with aspects of function (functional age), degree of independence, and capacity for self-care, along with the understanding of old age within a community’s value system. This sounds complicated, yet it emphasizes that numbers don’t define who we are and that not all people are the same at any age.

This complicated issue is one reason why York County Community Foundation’s Embracing Aging initiative is hosting, along with York College, The Journey to Embracing Aging with Bill Thomas on Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. at York College’s Waldner Performing Arts Center. As Embracing Aging works to expand age-inclusive thinking and reduce barriers to aging well in York County, we look forward to hearing Thomas’s remarks regarding the age one becomes old.

The event is free, but we are requesting registration at http://yccf.org/aging.asp. As you register, you’ll be asked a series of questions, one of which is, “How old is old?” Thomas will include how attendees responded to this question in his presentation.

A Nov. 22 Tampa Bay Times interview with Thomas hints at how he will help York Countians reframe our views on aging. “I expose the illusion that youth is perfect. Youth is beautiful in many ways, but it’s not perfect. The problem with thinking youth is perfect is that everything that follows must therefore be in decline. It’s dangerous to let go of what’s familiar, to let go of what you’ve always done, to choose to do something new that you might or might not succeed at. We grow and change and develop across the entire life span, not just when we are young.

Growing is part of our journey every step of the way. As we age, we have even more life possibilities because we have more choices, more experience, and more life skills.”We look forward to hearing Thomas’s riveting message on Jan. 25 as he challenges us to change the way we think about aging.