In several parts of the digital world, I am "Olderkirby". When I got my Gmail address, I was mechanically informed that my name was too commonly held by others to make for a good email address. One of the alternatives suggested by the software was "YoungerKirby" but at the time, I was definitely in the older category, not "younger". I am a member of a "learning in retirement" organization on my local university campus. I realize that many of the members struggle with the label "older". It seems to be modern and American to strive to be young. Maybe citizens of other countries also work at being youthful. They maybe also pay for surgery to make their faces look several decades younger if possible.
I want to take a different path. I got my jowls and wrinkles honestly, for the most part, and I don't want to downplay my years. I am interviewing job applicants for positions as surgeons in the organization I will soon launch. I want to offer 40 and 50 year olds the opportunity to have jowls, wrinkles and the accompanying dignity and respect that come to the older-looking citizen. My intuition is clear that I am going to be flooded with requests for aging surgery but I am hoping to meet the demand.
Another aspect of my organizational efforts will be an advertising/marketing campaign complete with sponsored original movies and plays that emphasize humanity's arrival at sufficient maturity that we can all learn to see the beauty, wisdom, and serenity in older faces, older voices, older postures, and older walking speeds. Nature has handicapped our revelry in age attainment by building in circuits that automatically perk up and attend to those with 20 year old skin, hair, body and builds. Since it is clear that we are living to greater ages, it is time for us to overthrow the yoke of biology and see the 80 and 90 year olds for the beauties they are. If we take the premise of the movie "Calendar Girls" and that of "Full Monty" and cleverly and strenuously build on that beginning, we can reach new heights of appreciation of paunches and sags. We can salute the attainments of our older citizens more fully and enthusiastically than ever before. Whose with me?
At the same time, we are indeed living longer, healthier, happier lives. You have heard that 70 is the new 50 and such slogans and headlines. This is an opportune time to get in the swing of appreciating that living is an admirable accomplishment and we can add to everyone's joy if we do a better job of appreciating what older people have achieved.
