I have a bad habit. Okay, I have many bad habits, but one of them is this: when my husband tells me about someone he works with, and I am trying to picture them in my head, I ask: how old are they? I have come to realize that this number becomes a convenient shorthand for putting someone in a box, and judging what they will be like merely because they are 40 or 50 years old. Nothing could be further from the truth. Age does not define us, yet ageism is one of the most prevalent and least recognized forms of prejudice in society today. In part, ageism is prevalent because as we age, we fall into the trap of believing the ageist stereotypes ourselves. We blame lost keys on a senior moment, or make jokes at our own expense about our changing faces and bodies.
Ageism activist Ashton Applewhite writes:
"Aging is a natural, lifelong, powerful process that unites us all. So how come so many of us unthinkingly assume that depression, diapers, and dementia lie ahead?”
Our September 22nd Wellness Wednesday shares a pro-aging perspective in which aging is not seen as a villain but as a wise teacher. Our special guest is Kyrié Carpenter, co-founder of the anti-agism clearinghouse OldSchool.info (along with Ashton Applewhite) and author of Healing Dementia.
Kyrié’s presentation, Playful Aging, discusses the Anti-Aging myth in America and helps us shift our view of aging from villian to wise teacher. Kyrié will explore aging through a psychological lens, offering a rare perspective of aging as an inevitable yet embrace-worthy aspect of living.
Join us on September 22nd
Join us at 11 am PT on September 22nd for a fresh look at the way we think of growing older. This session is free but you need to register to attend (or receive the recording). Special thanks to our sponsor, Jim’s Gym Comes to You.