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May Musing from Rebecca Crichton: Celebrating Our Aging

“The times, they are a-changin’,” as Bob Dylan, the boomer generation’s bard, wrote. We are at an interesting juncture in our society, recognizing that this generation is aging differently from earlier ones. Whether it is in longevity, overall health, creativity, or financial capacity, getting older has not necessarily meant being kicked to the curb, ignored, or demeaned.

At the same time, discussions among my older friends often start with what we call an Organ Recital, even though we try to avoid or limit it. Despite ourselves, we wind up listing the accidents, diagnoses, and creeping decrepitude of people we know – including ourselves – and how they have impacted our lives. Once you’re over 80, you can’t avoid recognizing that the time ahead is shorter than the time behind.

May is officially Older Americans Month. First called Senior Citizens Month in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy, it was renamed in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter. At the time of its inception, nobody knew what it would mean to have so many people live past the age of 65.

When I first entered the aging field in 2012, the terms Silver Tsunami and Grey Wave showed up as warnings for how we were not prepared for what was coming. There was fear that our systems would be overwhelmed within a few decades.

As the number of elders increases significantly, the market reflects their buying power as it addresses the special needs related to aging. More programs, products, and living situations, touching everything from real estate to medical, leisure activities to increased social support, continue to develop.

One of the areas that has changed dramatically is in the field of Death and Dying. My colleague Dori Gillam and I used to share a cheeky observation that “Death is the new Sex.” In the same way that sex is no lon taboo in public discourse, death and how we live and die are now often center stage of what we talk about in public forums.

Our sold-out May event at Town Hall – Understanding VSED: Choosing the Path Toward a Peaceful Ending – testifies to the interest in being at choice at the end of our lives. People want to know the options that exist for living and dying.

This month’s essay, Practicing Restraint, focuses on scams and frauds. It includes a link to a recent New York Times article warning that what might seem like an appealing email notification is actually an invitation to technological Hell.

Keri Pollock, a longtime advocate for people in the aging field and Director of Marketing & Communications for Aging Wisdom, contributes her essay on what she learned through her life about Patience, Love, and Kindness.

May feels like a month of promise and possibilities. Definitely plan to smell the flowers and enjoy the spectacular sunsets as the days linger.

Rebecca

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Monday, May 4, 7:30 PM, The Mehdi Reading Room, Town Hall Seattle

When someone chooses VSED (Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking), the experience touches everyone around them. Kate Christie, author of The VSED Handbook, will speak candidly about her personal experience with VSED in her family. She will be joined by Lashanna Williams, director of A Sacred Passing and steward of A Place to Die, a Volunteer Care Advisor from End-of-Life Washington, who will share what it looks like to walk alongside individuals and loved ones during this process. Rebecca Crichton will moderate the conversation.