Fighting Ageism

I recently read an article on Ageism and it totally captured my attention. As a member of the “Sandwich Generation”, in that I have an aging parent to care for as well as three growing children of my own with their various demands to pay attention to as well. I feel this growing set of issues and conflict frequently. Both have their needs and demands, and both are legitimate. Both have a need to be respected, feel respected, and to have the ability and opportunity to have a full and productive life….right up to the end. The bottom line is that no matter how old we are, we all need to know we have something to offer, that we are valued and appreciated, that our voices count. The Three Plagues of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom exist, in part, due to ageism in our society. When people resort to snap judgments, don’t take the time to know us well as individuals, and write us off as either “too young” or “too old,” we never have the opportunity to share our talents, our gifts, or our generosity. Pigeon-holed by our age, we become ripe for boredom and boredom can be lethal. Take the recent tragedy involving the random shooting in Oklahoma of an Australian baseball player by youth claiming to be “bored.” While an extreme example, it’s a painful reminder that the Three Plagues, gone unchecked, are indeed deadly. When youth aren’t invited to give back, or to contribute somehow, some way, they are going to give up… just like an Elder, who gives up talking, walking, or eating in an impersonal care environment. To fight ageism, we have to all be fully invested in the fight. This means combating all ageism – ageist behavior aimed at youth and Elders alike. Here’s the Catch 22. When we advocate for ending ageism against Elders – while simultaneously writing off youth – we actually exacerbate ageism toward Elders. How can we expect youth to appreciate the contributions of older people, when we turn around and disrespect theirs? It only deepens the gulf between the two. We need to consciously create what is referred to as an intergenerational experience to build a meaning bridge between the generations. Keeping both engaged, allowing both groups to participate and contribute in meaningful ways, and creating a feeling of mutual respect. There are many, many opportunities for both groups to interact with each other in supportive meaningful ways with we help create and facilitate the interactions.