In Greek the term ‘old’ does not exist for people. Food and objects get old, people don’t, people get bigger. And when you think about it, that makes more sense. People keep developing and growing, people get bigger. Greater in spirit, greater through experiences, greater in their developments and greater in their wisdom.
The retirement age
As retirement age approaches, the question arises; What do we have to do now to still belong, to still count in society? Many people lose their zest for life and ability to grow when it is time to retire. What is the reason for that? Are people burned out and tired by the time they retire? A better explanation for this seems to be that people are afraid of the excess of free time they will have when it is time to retire. Youth grow up assuming that the most important part of life begins when you become an adult. You are going to work and build a career. You’re getting married and starting a family. People often do not think beyond this phase. Retirement is something no one thinks about until the time comes and then it often comes as a shock. The idea that you are no longer worth anything to society, your children have long since left home, but you still had a job. Now that work is also stopping, many people feel that they are too old to do things anymore. Nothing is less true.
Grandpa and Grandma
Grandpa and grandma used to be the older people, the children could go to them if they needed a babysitter. It was thought that grandparents were no longer useful to society. Nowadays, grandpa and grandma no longer sit behind the geraniums waiting for the children to come by. We can’t tar everyone of a certain age with the same brush. There are people in their fifties who are already exhausted, but there are plenty of people in their sixties, seventies and even eighties who are still doing all sorts of things. When we are over the midlife crisis and have come to terms with the fact that we are getting older, then we can handle anything again. All the knowledge, experience and enthusiasm that can be found in the elderly are a treasure for society. It may not be easy for the elderly to find a paid job, but there is plenty of volunteer work for the active elderly. Older people are committed to the environment, the municipality, refugee work, the third world or in administrative matters. There are plenty of opportunities to stay involved in society. In addition, they can enjoy their well-deserved free time.
Become older
As we get older, this is often accompanied by physical changes. We get gray hair and wrinkles, our hearing and vision deteriorate and it can also cause memory loss. These changes are often the reason that society has negative ideas when it comes to aging. Why do non-elderly people actually think that the elderly deteriorate so much and are desperate? This is probably due to the fact that the media only presents us with examples in which older people are declining and desperate. This distorts our view of reality. People who age well live according to these four points.
- They take good care of themselves, are active and live a healthy life
- They are flexible and do not strive for perfection
- They adapt easily to new situations and can enjoy new things
- They see growing older as a challenge and not as a threat
The elderly who live according to this way are still very full of life despite the physical changes that are inevitable. You see these elderly people in swimming pools, on long journeys, behind the billiard table and there are even some who still study. Older people know not to waste energy on unimportant matters. These elderly people will not perform physical feats, but they will do serious physical exercises so that they remain fit and flexible. They will also not go to every activity available, but will selectively choose from the activities and social contacts that are important to them.
Sex and aging
In 1993, the research couple Samuel and Cynthia Janus published a study on human sexual behavior. In contrast to many previous studies, this study also included the sexual activities of older people. It turns out that the ability to enjoy sex does not decrease with age. In fact, the sexual activity of older people increases with age. More and more elderly people are ridding themselves of the shame of being dirty old people. More and more elderly people have a healthy and active sex life well into the age of eighty. The aging body does not stand in the way of a satisfying sex life. It is usually the children who, out of jealousy or fear of losing their inheritance, get in the way of their parents’ sex life. It even seems that older people are often more active than young people. Older people enjoy sex even more, since they no longer have to worry about pregnancy, appearance or scoring. Older people also have more time for sex and they enjoy it.
Finally
The elderly person sitting behind the geraniums waiting for the children is a thing of the past. The older person of the future doesn’t want anyone anymore. The older person of the future is a beautiful, healthy and full of life person who boldly sets out to get on with life.
read more
- Growing up: Middle age
- Growing up: Physical development in the adolescent
- Growing up: The adolescence period
- Growing up: Psychological development from zero to fifteen
- Growing up: Wow, I’m growing up