Thursday, January 30, 2020

AGEISM

'

I love the theme for this New Year, Roaring into the '20s. It speaks for itself as we began the New Year here on the Lower Mainland, B.C., with our first snowfall. I was impressed by how quickly the city sent snow plows out to clear the streets. I began this year mostly alone, sorting out a lot of those sticky emotions that are just there and get ignored as I go through my day. I realize how comfortable it is just to let the feeling pass, as I get busy doing something or nothing in particular, especially as I age.

But I then I had an epiphany, and realized that aging means that I no longer should be dealing with any emotions of insecurity, regret, disappointment, or guilt; none of those negating feelings were acceptable anymore. I have decades of experience to tap into, and that should be enough to absolve myself of any wrong feelings that I may have learned to hold on to. No matter what occurred in my life, I must stand up and be who I am today. My past taught me to be more than I was back then, and that is who I must be in the world today, the me that survived all of my past.

I recently watched this great show on ageism, Frankie and Grace, starring Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, and it brought so many issues up in my face. I realized how easy it is to use age as a cop-out for so many things. Aging is not about giving up; it's about standing up. Being blessed with age, and with your full capacities, makes you a blessing to be shared with everyone in your environment. Some of the younger generations may tend to become condescending in their ways of thinking they know more than we do because we are old. Some of us may get pushed aside because we allow the attitude of the young to break us down and put us in our place. Being old does not mean climbing into a box and hiding. Many indigenous cultures honor the Elders blessed with the wisdom that comes with age. They hold a special place in their society, and their knowledge is highly valued.

I am fortunate to be able to volunteer at Kennedy Seniors Recreation Centre in Delta B.C... I have come to realize just how much I appreciate aging as I witness seniors in different stages of aging being out in the community, maintaining their health and lifestyle with such vigor and joy. There is a dinner and dance celebration at least once a month, and the turnout is incredible. I realize that places like this are worth their weight in gold with all the knowledge accumulated here. The elderly may be pushed aside in society, but some of us are uniting to live a better quality of life in this stage of our lives.

Being active as we age allows our minds to stay sharp. Now is not the time to give up on our dreams because we now have the wisdom and patience to move ahead in our lives if we so choose. We will always have a place in society as long as we do not give it up. We are still able to change the world if only with one person at a time. We all have at least one superpower to share, one gold coin that means something special to us and that someone needs us to share. We are valuable with decades of wisdom.

Knowledge is power, and we are powerhouses no matter what anyone else says or thinks of us. If we have made it this far in life, then we are heroes. If we have made it this far and have a legacy of children and grandchildren, then we are superheroes. The world will appreciate us as much as we honor, respect, and enjoy ourselves. I always see myself as a bottle of fine wine, slowly aging in time to become more vibrant and fuller. I am akin to the image of the pregnant Goddess in history, which relates to Womyn in her fullness, filled with knowledge and wisdom: pregnant with life experiences.