10 Insulting Assumptions That Make Older People Furious

I was walking behind a twenty-something–year–old couple who were forced to reduce their fast pace as they approached an elderly man slowly walking in the same direction. Unable to go around him because foot traffic was heavy, they exchanged annoyed expressions and then imitated the elderly gentleman’s halting movements.

Eventually, he turned off on a side street, and they resumed their pace. The young man turned to his girlfriend and said, “When I get that old, shoot me.” If he had asked me for help, I would have been delighted to give it—even early.

Loathing of Aging

Unfortunately, aging is viewed by many younger people with the same discomfort experienced when a strange uncle comes uninvited to a family gathering. Despite everyone’s assurance that nobody told Uncle Ralph about the event, there he is in all his glory, wearing a plaid mothball smelling jacket, a striped shirt, and lime green pants. He carefully combed the few strands of remaining hair across his bald head, and sits in the middle of the room waiting for a simple hello but receives the same amount of attention given to a tasteless bowl of bean dip.

A Fear of Aging

Why are younger people so reluctant to understand the process of aging? There’s an old saying we fear most that which we will become. Everyone’s own Uncle Ralph is looming there, peeking over the approaching horizon. Those of us who have faced west and watched the sun disappearing, understand that aging is neither the bogeyman nor the doddering old fool portrayed in hip films and political commercials

The Tibetans have a saying, “To get over your fears, bring closer to you that which frightens you the most.” Aging, for many younger people, falls into that category. Because it is not understood, it is often ignored, ridiculed, and, in the most egregious of cases, becomes the basis of inadvertent humiliation.

Misinterpretations

Our slower processing of information is often misinterpreted as a sign that our minds are turning to mush, and a gentler physical pace is taken to indicate our bodies are disintegrating. At sixty, I completed my first triathlon. At sixty-three, I finished my seventh book. At sixty-four, I along with nine “older” friends, hiked for seven days in the high Sierras. At seventy-nine, I still run four miles three days a week--albeit sometimes slower than people stroll with walkers.

Typical activities for someone my age? Maybe not. But I am sure most people my age can substitute life challenges many of our younger friends could not handle—at least not yet.

Most of us have experienced an incident that makes us wonder how some younger people can get it so wrong. Based on conversations I have had with fellow “old folks,” I have compiled the top 10 age-based insults. If you are under fifty and have already asked Uncle Ralph to stay, maybe even engaged him in a serious conversation, there is little new here.

But if you are considered a "senior," you might want to pass this article on to people who question your judgment, sanity, or value. If Uncle Ralph is knocking on the door, take heart, keep reading, and you will learn that he is not as frightening as you think. If you are someone who drives behind us and honks because we drive at the speed limit or slightly below, definitely read on. And if you are an adult child with at least one living parent, read this daily--and then feel free to apologize.

Top 10 Insults of Old People

1. They are uninformed. Not knowing the names of the latest Oscar nominees does not mean we are uninformed. "Uninformed" is not understanding why Korea was partitioned. Though we forget names, we remember the complexities of living those who are younger are still struggling to comprehend.
2. Once the body goes, the mind follows. Moving slowly does not mean we have lost our marbles. Check out any book written by Stephen Hawking.
3. They’ve lost the capacity to be intimate. Our ability to love is not diminished by age, nor is it confined to what happens below the belt. Intimacy with age takes on different forms.
4. They’re going deaf, so speak loudly and slowly. We may not hear well, but we know how to listen and when to remain silent.
5. They’re always cranky. We do get cranky. Do not take it personally—physical pain and understanding the inevitability of aging have that effect.
6. The elderly need guidance. Do not treat us as children, no matter how much our bodies are failing or how long it takes to process information. We may not think as quickly as we once did, but the quality of our deliberations and the depth of our insights are undiminished. You might understand this in ten or twenty years.
7. They glory in their dependency. We do not become dependent to make your life miserable. We are more reluctant to ask for help than people are willing to give it.
8. They can’t make decisions on their own. We have made important decisions throughout our lives. Even some—believe it or not—that had a very positive effect on the lives of others--including you. Allow us the dignity of continuing to make decisions, at least for ourselves.
9. Their knowledge is outdated. In this fast-paced digital, cyber-connected, social-mediatized world, you may believe that our knowledge is irrelevant. But our wisdom, just as it has been since the beginning of time, is not. It comes from living.
10. They behave strangely. Our attitudes and behaviors are the products of our history. So, when we say or do something you do not understand, do not dismiss it out of hand, cut us some slack. After all dudes, we're old.

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