This logo was created by physical therapists and it should be the battle cry for every individual over the age of 50 in this country.
Physical therapists have started a campaign to redefine old and everyone should consider getting on board. The physical therapist’s perspective seems to largely be oriented towards how we treat individuals we consider to be old. The question is when do you consider someone to be old? And are you applying the same criteria to yourself?
When you reach 65, you are often faced with a contradiction. You’ve thought all along you’d be old because you’d be retiring from paid work. Many of us don’t feel old when we reach 65 or even 70. It seems the perfect stage to stop acting our age.
Stop thinking of old as a curse and start thinking of old as a gift. Stop thinking of old as a burden and start taking advantage of the wisdom that comes with years. Stop thinking of old as a time devoted to recreation and start thinking of re-creating.
As the number of centenarians in our population grows each year, you have to consider whether you’ll be one of them. Whether you’re 20 or 60, what does a 100 year life-span mean to your life plan?
Beyond financial planning, there’s been little discussion about how to take advantage of the decades of life we are likely to live after 65 – yes decades. From the beginning of the typical lifespan we are able to identify personal milestones, accomplishments, and successes we celebrate – learning to walk, learning to talk, graduating from high school, college, beginning a career or getting a job, getting married, having children – are all acceptable dare I say planned for events along life’s path.
Where are the personal milestone, accomplishment and success celebrations we look forward to after we reach retirement age?
Let’s start celebrating the success of launching our prodigy out into the world with Empty Nest parties.
Likewise, if Downsizing parties became a trend it might help more individuals look at their current home sooner and consider whether it would support them well for the next 30 years.
Clearly if you’re graduating from college when you’re over 50, you have a different perspective on what’s next. What if colleges started have special events to bring all of their older graduates together?
There are still a number of physical, mental and social developments which happen as we age. Rather than assuming these changes all result in decline how do we anticipate and plan for the best outcome possible from these changes. Remember that’s the way we approached changes in the early days of life.
