Misconceptions About Aging

Posted May 20, 2008, 12:50 pm

Growing Bolder asks leaders, thinkers, writers, life coaches, entertainers and role models to weigh in on issues affecting our lives.

Our question is: What Common Misconception About Aging Do You Wish You Could Dispel?

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Pat Paciello
The biggest misconception about aging is that you must give up your youthful exuberance to acquire wisdom and maturity. While some believe this is the logical and natural order of aging it is not. This rite of passage to become a spectator rather than a player is only determined by your mind-set. First of all, by getting older do we automatically get smarter and wiser? I don't think so. For some of us, it just gives us the opportunity to make the same mistakes over and over again. Nothing is worse than an old-timer who because of his age thinks that he possess Yoda-like qualities, and dispenses his philosophy whether you want to hear it or not. The good news is that you do not have to accept the mantle of the elder statesman. Many Baby Boomers have actually taken a back step on the evolutionary scale and why not? Our children are grown up. Our career focus has changed, and we have more discretionary time than we have had since we were teenagers. Now is the time to be a little crazy, laugh a lot, and instead of rehashing memories of our youth, - make new ones. I believe that for many of us we were just coming to grips with the concept of adulthood, and without warning we were given senior citizen status. We must have been at a concert, or out to dinner when the official adulthood registration certificate was handed out. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not against getting older or being perceived as an elder statesman. As a matter of fact, there's a number of perks that come with the territory. If you play tennis with your children, you can call their shot out, even though you know it was in by a foot. Your child will assume your eyesight is poor and give you the benefit of the doubt. When it snows, people will shovel your driveway. It makes them feel good about themselves. Why should you rob them of their feel good moment? More importantly, you need to don your elder statesman costume when your helping hand is needed most; like counseling your grand-children in times of trouble or helping your children navigate choppy waters. The key to the process is simple. Once their car disappears from the driveway, call your friends, grab a beer and head off to the golf course. 

About Pat Paciello
As author of "Has Anyone Seen My Reading Glasses The Humorous and Slightly Informative Chronicles of a Retired Baby Boomer," Pat Paciello shares his experiences, advice and insights on subjects like long term care, financial strategy, retirement for women and the unique relationship between adult children and their parents.