I’m concerned! I read an advert in the paper that urged seniors to get ready for the end of their working years and focus on their stock portfolios so they could move on, well provided for in their waning years. Horrific!
One, we know many seniors can’t afford to retire, much less dream of piling up a robust portfolio. Two, increasing research shows that the worst thing a senior can possibly do, is rush off to retirement and into an unhealthy existence as they cope with a sense of isolation, inactivity and lack of value. Three the community loses a great deal when an experienced worker with skill sets and maturity, honed only by time, is put out to pasture. Time to rethink how we view aging and our older population and how they can continue to use their skills, maintain dignity, and keep fit-physically, emotionally and mentally.
But first, let’s define seniors and aging. According to the legal definition a senior is an elderly person, usually more than sixty or sixty-five years of age. Who! Me? Elderly! I am 66 and though I recently moved away from a news desk after 43 years in television, I don’t feel like that elderly person. Aging does not drive my agenda. In fact, Encore.org gave me a big prize in December for my founding of and continuing work at Latinas Contra Cancer championing Latinos facing cancer. Encore.org, which is driving a global movement to get seniors to live their legacy rather than leave one, honored me and 6 others nationwide, for proving that seniors not only have value, they add value, to others lives. I challenge companies, unions and government, to not just send seniors off with a box of memories, but with learning tools and a clear path toward putting their talent to work for the greater good, and maybe, even make a living while doing it.
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