Hell yeah I'm old....what about it?

OK, so is anyone else fed up with America's obsession with youth, Of course youth is pretty awesome. You have strength, agility, smooth skin and a future full of endless possibilities. 

You live it, go through some stuff, good and bad and you age. Of course we all want to look our best and be as healthy as we can be but there comes a time when we have to face and embrace reality, I don't know when it happened that our society became so afraid of old age. 

Earlier generations and culture would respect older people, go to them for advice, help them with physically challenging tasks and generally love and care for them with respect and dignity.

Now, old age is feared by young and old, it's often ridiculed and mocked. There is little respect for elders in the home and in society in general.

Have we, as a society, created an environment where we, old people, Grandma's, senior citizen's, elder's are so easily cast aside? When covid-19 was raging it hit our older population the hardest, one politician (Dan Patrick, Texas Lt Governor) even suggested we should take the hit for the good of the economy. 

Bullshit!!

If you want value and respect as a person when you age, you need to tell and show people how to treat you. I love my children and Grand children and I laugh and fool around with them often. But there are limits to what I will tolerate. When those limits are reached I stop all the play and remind them who they are talking to. 

My husband plays with our Grand daughter (9) a lot. They like to insult each other and joke on each other. I have been telling him for a few years to not play like that because she will not know when you are serious and sure enough, she recently told him she does not have to listen to him. She would not say that to be because, even though we have a fun, loving relationship, there are certain things she knows Grandma don't play about. This creates a place where both she and I know what the rules and limits are and it is good.

Or another example, my son (35), would call and we would chat and joke around. One day, he forgot who he was talking to I guess and told an off color joke. I didn't have to say anything, which I didn't, silence and then after a few seconds, he said I was sorry, that joke wasn't appropriate for my company. And it wasn't and I don't give a shit about hurting his feelings or being his friend. I'm his Mom and I'm his elder and expect to be treated as such. 

I am very tolerant and open minded and maybe to some people too much so, but I have set and enforce my boundaries. I have lived a life such that I have earned the respect and love of my children and I expect it.  

I remember when I was a young girl I always loved old people. I like how nice they were and how they always had advice on life and could set your mind at ease a bit cause you would know your OK and they got through it and so will you. I knew what to expect from them and they were always the same. 

I want to go through all the stages of life, including old age. To be able to set back at a family gathering and hopefully see my children and grandchildren being happy and healthy. I want them to know I am one of the things in their life that is real and even though I am not perfect and my hair is gray and I'm a bit heavier than I used to be. Nobody can insult me by calling me old, I am old. I made it this far and God willing I'll get older and maybe older still.  I like to think each line on my face was put there to remind me that I have more life behind me than ahead of me and I better make the most of it.

PS: So if you are out in the world somewhere and as an older person maybe weaker than people around you, don't let that stop you from demanding the respect you deserve. One thing that helps is a taser. Tase their young ass until the cops get there. Being young won't help them deal with an old wacko with a taser!! Just a suggestion.

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Photo by Danie Franco on Unsplash