The 5 Biggest Benefits to Aging

NOTE: I can't believe I must write this disclaimer, but even we Baby Boomers are not immune from the "sensitivity culture" that permeates our society today. Everyone takes everything so seriously. Everyone is offended by everything. This article is meant as HUMOR and SATIRE and was written to hopefully provide you with a few good chuckles, not insult senior citizens ( a group to which I belong).

Millennials (age 26–41) and the younger end of Generation X ( ages 42–57) rule the world. They drive the trends in everything:

· What is advertised and purchased

· The type of transportation used

· Food trends

· How and where that food is consumed

· Housing trends - renting vs buying

· Decorating trends

· Child-rearing practices

· Political stances

· The type of jobs they have and where they are willing to do them.

That is everything that used to be attributed to us Baby Boomers, the generation that is now relegated to the trash heap of ideas and trends. But despair not, my fellow Baby Boomers, there are some benefits to having lived into one's 7th decade.

The 5 Biggest Benefits of Aging are:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Thought you were going to get the standard "Age is Wisdom" crap from me, did you? The Internet is full of inspirational articles espousing the benefits of having lived for 70+ years, including all that come with them:

· Decades of workplace experience

· Survived relationships and marriages, good and bad

· Survived (barely) raising children

· Dealt with illness and death

· Lived through Tragedy and Triumph (Sorry for the cliché, but it fits here)

· Witnessed and participated in some of the most monumental historic events, including wars, assassinations, and social/political change marches.

But you know what? Those of us Boomers who have managed to survive the "Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll" era have lived rich, full lives, are not done yet, and ARE reaping some benefits from having lived this long. So let's try this list again.

The 5 Biggest Benefits of Aging are:

1. Wisdom - yes, with age does come wisdom. But what good is it when no one will listen to what we have to say? According to today's Millennials and younger Generation X's, we Boomers are old, irrelevant, and our opinions are worth s***t. How they know that our opinions are worthless when they don't listen to them is an irony that escapes them.

2. Money - (Many Boomers do have oodles of money, regardless of what my bank account shows.) You now have money to spend on travel. Except your spouse is dead and you're stuck cruising with a group of old ladies who would rather sit inside and play Canasta than soak up the sun on one of the many decks and pools a cruise ship has to offer.

Or you are one of the lucky ones who still has a living, breathing spouse with whom to do the traveling. Except you both have arthritic knees, painful backs, poor balance, low stamina, and shortness of breath after walking back and forth from the buffet to your table too many times. This puts a damper on navigating old European cobblestone streets, rickety bridges over rushing creeks 60 feet below, and bungee jumping. Traveling with diabetic supplies, a CPAP machine, and back braces is a bit cumbersome.

3. Opportunities for Learning - You have the time to explore new ideas and take courses for the joy of learning. Except you can't remember any of the information.

4. Entertainment - You have the time and money to attend any concert your heart desires. Except all the performers you want to see are dead.

5. Hobbies - You have the time for hobbies like painting, needlepoint, crocheting, knitting, and learning to play a musical instrument, but your arthritic fingers can't hold the brushes and needles or pluck the guitar strings.

Ah, but there ARE some things you can do to enjoy your golden years AND make them productive - Volunteer work that doesn't require physical prowess. You can:

· Read to hospitalized children.

· Join a Book Club.

· Write on Internet Platforms like Medium.

· Write that Great American Novel you've been planning.

I hope you did a lot of fun, stupid, and crazy stuff when you were young, so you can laugh and reminisce about it when you're old and can no longer climb Machu Picchu, except on the comfort of your treadmill.

First published in Medium.com

©Copyright 2022 Joan Gershman