Is a Senior by Any Other Name Still Old?
I read an article recently that suggested “older” people were starting to balk at being called seniors. Even AARP was beginning to use the term “medicare eligible” for those over a certain age. Baby boomers seem to be the generation who never thought we’d get old and now that we’re here, we don’t like being reminded of it.
How we see ourselves and how the world sees us are, of course, two different things. I read lots of blogs about boomers, seniors and retirement. Some bloggers have the general opinion that boomers should just move out of the way and die to make room for the younger generation. Others say the boomers will be the saving of the economy, while yet others say the current economic mess is the fault of greedy, materialistic boomers. The peace and love generation turned into evil Wall Street broker types and ruined the country. One blog I read yesterday suggested we should collectively pay off the national debt when we die by reinstating the estate tax and taxing social security - just as a favor for the younger generation.
Personally, I get tired of my generation getting the blame for the world’s ills but I know when all these generation X, Y, Z people turn 55 they will be singing a different tune. Wasn’t it our generation who said “Don’t trust anyone over 30?”
I guess, when it comes to aging, we always tend to see ourselves through rose colored glasses (maybe we’re losing our vision, along with our waistline?) I find myself listening for people at my Y exercise classes to mention their age and then I think “Wow, I’m older than them but I look so much younger!’
Of course, one place us boomers don’t mind the term senior is when it comes to “senior discounts!” Here on my blog, posts about senior discounts are among the most popular. I guess since some of these discounts can start as young as 50, and since they do involve getting a bargain, we don’t think of it as something negative.
I remember one time quite a few years ago, I went into Taco Bell just to get something to drink. The high school kid waved away my money and said, “It’s free.”
I said “Really, are you sure?” I thought, what a nice young man, giving me a free drink. It wasn’t until quite some time later that I found out Taco Bell gives free drinks to “seniors.” I guess to a high school kid, all of us “old people” look like we qualify so they don’t even bother to ask.
When I was in my 30’s I did a short stint as a waitress in a Mexican restaurant. Our restaurant gave senior discounts and I remember not liking to insult anyone by asking if they were old enough to receive one. Some people were insulted if you did ask them and they weren’t old enough. Other people jumped right in there and told you they were old enough and expected to get it.
Fast forward to 2008. I was 58 years old then and checking out at Kohls. The 30-something woman at the register informed me it was senior discount day and asked if I qualified. I said, “It depends on what age it is.” She said the senior discount started at age 60. I laughed (thinking of course that I certainly didn’t look 60!) and said “No, I’m not old enough yet.”
At this point she got rather insistent, really wanting me to have that discount. She said, “Well, is it near your 60th birthday? I can still give it to you.”
Gone are the days when we fear insulting someone about their age! -lol.
How we define ourselves is important. The term “Older American” seems to be catching on. I always liked “baby boomer” because it makes us sound young and important but maybe that’s getting passe. Advertisers are sure struggling to define us, having suddenly woken up to the improbably idea that our age group too spends money, not just that coveted 18 to 39-year-old age group. Although ads directed at us older Americans most often involve hemorrhoid creams and cholesterol medications, rather than the latest iPhone or iPad.
Personally, I think advertisers are missing to boat there. Us senior, boomer, medicare eligible, older Americans also covet iPhones and iPads and all the latest gadgets.
Do you have any thoughts on what you’d like us older people to be called? If senior is out and -Heaven forbid - elder, what new word can we come up with to define ourselves? I’d love to hear ideas. Maybe we can start a new trend.