President Biden recently dropped his bid for re-election.  His action was praised as unselfish by those who see his age as a liability.  Vice-President Harris ascended to the top of the ticket with ease and grace. I am not here to talk politics.  I want to address ageism.

Reframing Aging

According to Reframing Aging, ageism refers to how we think, feel, and act toward each other based on age.  Last century, it was fashionable to throw a fiftieth birthday party featuring black balloons and “over the hill” themed swag.  Baby boomers (of which I am one) thought we were so clever in our ridicule of those old people. And now, we are them.

Fearmongering About Old People

At the turn of the twenty-first century, we witnessed the surge of dire predictions about aging like Silver Tsunami and Age Wave.  Beside Y2K Armageddon, I think fear of those old people got more airtime than other important issues like climate change. Times have changed. Our world is filled with people of more diverse ages than ever before in human existence. Birth rates are plummeting worldwide.  “Nuclear families” are smaller and intergenerational families are blossoming. In fact, I suspect that our concept of “generations,” as the definition of who we are and how we act, is misguided. Stage not Age.

Prejudice Hurts Everyone

I often feel invisible at professional meetings and networking events these days. Is it just my perception or is it real?  Do I have valuable experience that could save younger entrepreneurs lots of time and money? Conversely, would I benefit from their incredible knowledge and creativity that younger entreprenuers possess if I started a conversation?  You see, we all have value.  Aging does not have to sideline us.  We need each other now more than ever.

Longer, Healthier, and Interesting Lives

Employers are embracing workers of every age and skill level.  In fact, the old grind of clocking in from nine to five is gone from most workplaces.  Today work happens anytime, anywhere which is conducive to hiring a more diverse workforce.  It’s not just our work life that is becoming more intergenerational.  Our communities strive to be livable communities.  In fact, hospitals and clinics see the benefits of intergenerational aging with age friendly health systems.

President Biden

President Biden stepped aside after a massive outcry that he is too old to endure a second four-year term.  By all indications, he is an effective president with recent executive orders and a booming economy. President Biden’s enthusiasm for the job is enduring.

Former President Trump

His opponent is now the oldest candidate to run for president in our nation’s history.  He is now the target for all of our ageism.  Before you accuse me of painting with a broad brush, let me first acknowledge that former President Trump has built his brand on the American ethos of individualism.  He has founded many companies. He enjoys the company of many business tycoons. Former President Trump has a penchant for labeling people was winners or losers. As a former president, we experienced his agenda. He is a known entity and should be judged accordingly.

Presidential Election

The comparisons and contrast we, collectively but especially the media, make between the two men wreaks of ageism. They both have grown and changed over time as they accumulated knowledge and experience.  Put another way, why are carefully aged spirits, family heirlooms, and centuries old art more expensive than the recent productions?  Age.  Complexity. Rarity. Regardless of age, all things have value. We assign the value based on our beliefs and world view. Now we have two candidates who are vastly different. My wish is that we do not make this election about age but ingenuity and vision for improving our country.