My Philosophy of Aging: Part 2

Today I will finish quoting from my "ancient" paper on my philosophy of aging.

Working with Older Adults. When I graduated from college with a degree in Mathematics, I went to work for the Social Security Administration. I wanted to help people, especially older people, because they let you help them, they were so appreciative. Unfortunately, the federal government bureaucracy cramped my style (even way back then!) and choked my creativity in endless rules, regulations and red tape.

My next venture into the field of aging was as a community organizer with the Community Action Program. Here I learned a good deal about the diverse nature of elderly people and about “helping” people. They were still appreciative but they taught me that they wanted to help themselves. (Boy! Do I ever understand that now that I am “elderly” myself.) But I was needed to educate them and to show them how to mobilize against the establishment. I felt alive and young being with them. Maybe it was the contrast in our ages, but maybe it was their own “youth”, too, that made me feel that way.

Now (1981) I am back in the field of aging after eight years working with young people. The diversity of the elderly is even more apparent now that I have a formal education in gerontology. I see that not all elderly are poor and dependent, not all are disease-ridden and limited, not all are unattractive, not all are appreciative and understanding, as I once thought. I see the real differences and I rejoice in the discovery that aging is an individual experience, unique to each person. I think that I respect older people more now and that my philosophy of aging is less patronizing than it once was.

Impact of M.S. Degree in Gerontology. My studies at the College of New Rochelle have had a definite effect on my philosophy of aging as noted above. In addition to a greater understanding of the biology, psychology and sociology of aging, I have altered my views on a number of issues. My research into Social Security financing confirmed earlier views on retirement and the need – social as well as personal – for people to continue to be active past the age of 65. But the research also made me aware of the seriousness of the financing of entitlement programs and the need for careful consideration of the consequences of demographic shifts and inflation on future generations. Thus, while I am always an advocate of elderly causes, I must face the reality of a Politics of Scarcity and a dependency ratio.

I think my greatest moment of truth came during the Human Relations course with J. W. We were having a psycho-drama on aging. Suddenly I was aware that all of my fellow students of gerontology were interpreting successful aging in terms of how “young” one was for his age. Those most guilty were the two oldest members of the class. “What is wrong with being old?”, I asked. Why can’t we have an “old is beautiful” campaign? Why, indeed!

America’s orientation is on youth, alas! “Youth is in”, but not for long, as all of us find out sooner or later. Perhaps, as the old begin to outnumber the young in the next century and as medical science reduces the physical limitations of aging and conquers diseases of old age, age will be where it’s at. I hope so!

Forward to 2008. Looking back at this 1981 paper, it is interesting to note how my own aging has not changed my 40 year old views all that much. But I observed how my concerns about financing crises in entitlement programs have continued to become more and more critical over the years - during good as well as bad economic times. One thing is certain – the predicted aging of our society is now understood by all. Next time I will talk about my “practical” life as a professional in the field of aging.