By Ann von Dehsen, November 21, 2019 — Last week after class, Eleanor and I discussed how much we dislike the term “elderly.” To us, it conjures up visions of nursing homes, people who need constant care and supervision. It is an end of life, condescending, sad, and somewhat pathetic term.
So, what else have “we of a certain age” been called? The term ”aging” seems a bit strange since technically we all start aging the minute we’re born. The most common term of course is “seniors” which makes sense in terms of government benefits and classifications. But when I hear “seniors” it makes me think of my senior year in high school and college and both were more fun than my present situation.
Then I realized that Baby Boomers born between 1944 and 1964 are now all above 65. What if we became known as “The Boomers?” If nothing else I think it would bring a smile to most people. Imagine if we were sitting here in the “Baby Boomers Center” instead of the “Senior Center?” There’s also a certain element of coolness to the term.
Next, I thought back to a couple of years ago to my interview for my current part-time job at the Philadelphia School. The woman interviewing me said, “I love hiring seasoned teachers like you. You’ve been there, you get it. You don’t fall apart if you’re thrown in the trenches. You are dependable and respectable and the kids need your wisdom.” So how about the term “seasoned citizens?” It certainly seems positive. How about looking into the mirror and thinking, “Boy, I look seasoned” instead of “Boy, I look old.” Like a seasoned Thanksgiving turkey, we are still delicious. Like furniture made from seasoned wood, we are still beautiful.
A seasoned person just seems more interesting than a senior person. We become seasoned through our experiences as we are sprinkled with acts of love, sadness, humor, grief, and joy. And as we become well seasoned we can continue to add flavor to the world. So thanks for listening, my seasoned friends.
