Sexism...Racism...But Ageism?

This is not a complaint-blog.  Or a lament for being 65+

But rather a musing, a wondering out loud:  is there really something called, ageism?  

Go figure:  we regularly hear about sexism and racism.  And well, we should -- given the injustice and injury, connected to both realities.  

But persons are undecided about ageism, that is:  the advert or inadvertent discrimination against persons, in large measure, because of their age.  Can that really be?

Now for the record, ageism can go both directions:  either discrimination for being too young or discrimination for being too old.  But, of late, it has been largely applied to the discrimination, the injustice, felt by many older persons.  As Laura Robbins has pointed out:  

“…The consequences of ageism influence how we are able to live the last third of our lives...Individuals of advanced age are both under-treated and over-treated by our health care system...Age limits our ability to be hired and re-hired after market downturns…Perceptions about older adults constrain the types of roles they assume in the community, limiting...communities from gaining the wealth of [their] knowledge, wisdom, and energy...At the extreme, ageism is believed to shorten our lives. One study reported that older adults who held negative views about old age faced life expectancies that were, on average, seven and a half years shorter than those of their peers...[But it get's worst]. In one study, 70 percent of older adults surveyed reported that they had been insulted or mistreated on the basis of their age. [And so, in sum] In a survey of eighty-four people, ages 60 and older, nearly 80 percent of respondents reported experiencing ageism..."  http://www.asaging.org/blog/pernicious-problem-ageism 

But little is being reported or said, about this form of discrimination. Except, by the 'book of all books.'   I mean:  the Bible is conclusive about ageism, declaring: it's flat out wrong. But the Bible does more.  The Bible also advances aging persons, teaching they should be honored, and not minimized.  

“You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord."   Leviticus 19:32     

"Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days."  Job 12:12

"Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life."  Proverbs 16:31 

"[Thus] the righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon...they still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green..."   Psalm 92:12-15

And for good reason: God Himself, deeply values persons of all ages, including persons of advanced age:

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.   Isaiah 46:3-4

As God bears and carries aging persons, we need to bear and carry aging persons as well.

But it takes a lot of intentionality and discipline of thought and word.  A few suggestions:

1) Avoid Barbed Humor About The Aging Process.  Sure, there's good natured humor about all phases of life, including getting older. But we should not 'cross the line' into 'humor' that's insensitive, and often, flat-out, cruel. In that regard: I had a ministerial colleague comment once about the fact the church's senior group was meeting in July and August, rather than taking the summer off. "And for good reason," he noted, "some of them will be dead by September."  I'd like to say this kind of comment is rare; it's not. I've heard it, or a variation, on more that one occasion.  Simply put: don't go there. 

2) Anticipate the Advancement of Life, Not the Fading of Life.  A disconcerting aspect of now being 65+ is the number of my peers who assume life is over: it's all disease and decline, from here on.

Yes, the probability of medical issues and other limiting factors, increase in the 65+ realm; no doubt.  But, life can still move forward, with a sense of reinvention and new adventure. Sure, it's never easy to start a new chapter, but it's always an option. 

And so a question: to 'what' will I give my energy?  Will it be to what I have lost (e.g. a pity party, for me, myself or I) -- or -- to what I can still gain? 

It is so, so tempting, to give our energy to what we have lost; for 'pity parities' do draw attention, and 'gratifying strokes.'  But not for long.  And so, there is no future in 'licking wounds,' but only in claiming healing, affirming:  the best is yet to be.   

Not only is that the promise of God (Jeremiah 29:11), it is the promise of actuarial tables, that forecast that most of us will live to our late 70's. And so, at age 65, the average American still has over a decade of life -- plenty of reason to keep advancing, and not fading!    

3) Expect A Real Contribution.  Don't Patronize, Or Give Token Opportunity. The last thing an aging person needs is be pitied or patronized.  Rather, older folk need to be readily affirmed for the actual contribution they can still make. Sure, there are persons in their 60's, and beyond, who've 'checked out' or who are restricted, in body, mind or spirit. But many 60 and beyond, can still make a significant, if not dramatic, contribution.   

A few examples follow:   "At 66, Noah Webster completed his monumental "American Dictionary of the English Language."  At 70, Cornelius Vanderbilt began buying railroads. At 76, Arthur Miller unveiled a bold new play, "The Ride Down Mt. Morgan," free of the world-weary tone of his previous works. At 77, John Glenn became the oldest person to go into space. At 88, Michelangelo created the architectural plans for the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli. At 89, Arthur Rubinstein performed one of his greatest recitals in Carnegie Hall. At 94, comedian George Burns performed in Schenectady, NY, 63 years after his first performance there."  http://www.businessinsider.com/100-amazing-accomplishments-achieved-at-every-age-2014-3

And so, overall, ageism is a stereotype and assumption that is unmerited. Yes, there are folks 65+ who cannot, or choose not -- to contribute.  But countless others, have so much brimming to give.  

I'm struck by the distinction the Bible makes between knowledge and wisdom.  Though anyone can accumulate knowledge, wisdom only comes to those who walk with God. Though Scripture clarifies that wisdom is not an automatic outcome of the aging process (Job 12:12-13), it only follows, that the longer one walks with God, the wiser one can very well become.  Thus, the greatest antidote to ageism is a fresh realization, that in the aging process, with God, great gain comes from accumulated insight and experience.

On January 15, 2009, several birds disabled the engines of US Airways Flight 1549.  As the plane descended rapidly toward the Hudson River, there was sure certainty of calamity and probable death.  But Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, did the improbable at age 57.  He stabilized the plane and executed an emergency water landing, allowing all 155 passengers and crew to survive and an episode of certain death.  Interviewed by new anchor Katie Couric shortly there after, Sully reflected on what many called 'The Miracle On The Hudson":

“One way of looking at this might be that for 42 years, I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training. And on January 15 the balance was sufficient so I could make a very large withdrawal.” https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/news-columns/paul-harasim/hero-sully-sullenberger-makes-a-strong-argument-against-ageism/

Countless older adults are willing to make a similar withdrawal.  Perhaps, not to achieve "a miracle on the Hudson," but 'miracles' elsewhere, eager to still impact life and make a contribution.

And so, rather than letting chronology or stereotypes determine a person's worth, we need to let our capacity in God determine worth.  And that capacity is inexhaustible.  For whether male or female -- black or white -- young or old -- we never losing our marking as empowered children of the Divine.

And as children of the Divine, we have immense, continuing value, that does not decrease with the passage of time, but ripens and mellows into something, even more precious and valued.