Some parts of agism, I must admit I. like., such as doors being opened for me, offering a seat or a hand at something. Unfortunately, and I really hate to say this, my husband and I have been noticing out and out rude, abusive behavior when we're out in public as of late. It comes out of nowhere and leaves us flabbergasted. Without all the details, suffice it to say it is pretty much what I said above only an extreme reverse. We find ourselves checking in with one another as a sounding board and reality check as if we had maybe done something wrong that caused the aggressive, rude behavior. I guess that's our generation jumping to conclusions that somehow it's our fault if we've been mistreated when it's not always the case. Alas, we've come to the same conclusion each time that we need to keep "doing us", setting an example of graciousness, speaking up for ourselves in the kindest but firmest manner possible when these occasions arise and not take it personally!
Thanks for this! Ageism is so much a part of our culture that it even affects how we think about ourselves as we get older. Thanks for the reminder that being older is more of a blessing of wisdom than a limitation of abilities.
Some parts of agism, I must admit I. like., such as doors being opened for me, offering a seat or a hand at something. Unfortunately, and I really hate to say this, my husband and I have been noticing out and out rude, abusive behavior when we're out in public as of late. It comes out of nowhere and leaves us flabbergasted. Without all the details, suffice it to say it is pretty much what I said above only an extreme reverse. We find ourselves checking in with one another as a sounding board and reality check as if we had maybe done something wrong that caused the aggressive, rude behavior. I guess that's our generation jumping to conclusions that somehow it's our fault if we've been mistreated when it's not always the case. Alas, we've come to the same conclusion each time that we need to keep "doing us", setting an example of graciousness, speaking up for ourselves in the kindest but firmest manner possible when these occasions arise and not take it personally!
Thanks for this! Ageism is so much a part of our culture that it even affects how we think about ourselves as we get older. Thanks for the reminder that being older is more of a blessing of wisdom than a limitation of abilities.