Wisdom of the ages and a huge pot of Gold

THE MODERN PHENOMENON OF AGEISM AND HOW WE ARE MISSING THE CHANCE TO MINE SOME SERIOUS GOLD

In this modern world it is curious to me that being young is seen as such an advantage. I mean, the older I get the more comfortable I become with who I am and I would not trade that insight and knowledge for anything in the world. I assume that most other “older” people feel the same. Some of the most amazing conversations I have ever had, have been with people 20 years my senior.

People with a lot more time on the planet than me.

People with so much more experience of life then me.

People with a lot more “scores “ on the proverbial board then me.

And yet as a society we have fabricated this really strange place where all this knowledge, and wisdom, and experience of life, is barely acknowledged, barely quantified and barely recognized, let alone celebrated and pursued.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were Wisdom Forums that younger people could attend regularly, where the older generation could simply recount tales of their lives and the invaluable knowledge that they gained from this?

Tales of love and loss.

Tales of ingenuity and resilience.

Tales of daring and courage.

Tales of entrepreneurial prowess and business acumen.

Tales of life.

It seems to me that we consider “the elderly” as those people who are passed their used by date. Those people who need to be put into storage. Those of our society who have nothing to give.

In need of assistance.

But what if it is us – the younger generation that really need the assistance?

What if we are leaving our most valuable resource in the ground – so to speak?

Un-tapped.

Un-mined.

Un-utilized.

Perhaps if the older citizens of Planet Earth were treated as the ultimate living treasure trove that they represent, they would feel more alive and valued and present.

Perhaps we need to hark back to some of the ancient, inuit cultures where the Elders was a term of respect and endearment.

Perhaps we need to change the “frame of reference” hat surrounds our aging populations to bring them back to the relevance and respect that hey deserve.

No longer having any living grand-parents I truly regret not taking more time to hear their stories, their wisdom and their knowledge when I was growing up. Though fortunate to spend a lot of time with two of my grandparents, I still wish I had been more curious as to their lives and experiences. But we simply do not live in a culture that encourages a real celebration of our elderly, and I think this is a real calamity.

Are we missing the chance to learn from past generations to inform the future of humanity?

Are we missing the chance to connect the future with the past?

Are we under valuing life experience in favour of new technology, new ideas and new ways of doing things?

Is there not room for both?

These are questions I suggest you reflect upon and perhaps you may like to connect with an Elder in your community to discover the hidden treasures that they hold.

Perhaps we can all strive to change the way we see the aging process. Perhaps we can all strive to see age as a beautiful right of passage.

A flowing river of knowledge that we can all stop and drink from.

An incredible library of knowledge, built on experience, that we can all read from.

A wonderful testament to the passing of time, that we can all learn from.

The wisdom of age can only be shared by those who have reached old age and surely that passing of time and experience deserves a little more respect.

We seem to have set up a strange set of parameters where youth is honoured and obeyed to the detriment of our Elders.

Youth which is usually is flying by the seat of it’s proverbial pants with no idea what it is doing.

Youth which is playing a game of roulette half the time.

Youth that is often ignorant to life, its possibilities, its downfalls and its greatness.

Youth, that by virtue of its very role in life often thinks it knows everything when it knows very little.

But do not get me wrong. I too celebrate youth. I was once a youth. And I must admit that I fell into the trajectory of most of the above parameters. It is not a bad thing. It is what it is. We need both the young and the old for the world to go around. For the world to evolve.

The naivety and inexperience of youth is what gives us the courage and daring to try.

It gives us the bravery to hark upon new ways of doing things.

It gives us belief in a new order. A new paradigm.  A new way of being.

And these too are incredibly valuable commodities in our life experience.

But perhaps – just perhaps – we have lost sight of the perfect compliment to youth.

The Carriers of Wisdom.

The Candle Bearers of Experience.

It seems to me that our society has become a little “out of whack”.

We seem to celebrate everything that celebrates youth but show disdain for everything that represents ageing.

They are the yin and yang. The old and the new of existence.

How can one exist without the other – they can not.

Perhaps we could honour this fact a little more.

Without those humans who come before us, we simply could not exist.

And without those who come after us, humanity would not continue on.

Both are necessary to our development and evolution, so perhaps both should be given equal billing on the Marquee of Life.

So much advertising convinces us that we should be ashamed when we have wrinkles on our faces. That we should hide from the world when old age approaches.

This seems such a bizarre concept to me, for when we are older is the exact time to kick up our heels and feel fabulous! We have made it through the crappy times of youth when we were trying to defend our position on all manner of things. When we were trying to impress people with how we looked and who we are. When we not even certain we knew who we were, let alone trying to convince someone else.

As an Elder we have been through the crap of life, shot out the other end and usually have developed a life philosophy something akin to “ I couldn’t care less what you think what you think. This is me.”

And this stage of life should be celebrated a little more perhaps?

The wrinkles on a person’s face are the life -blood of their life experience written all over their face. The laughter lines. The worry lines. The mystery lines. Every little story etched in their face to be honoured and remembered and valued forever.

To me this seems a wonderful thing.

To be obsessed with deleting these lines, for the sake of a perceived “youthful beauty” seems so strange.

What of our Elder Beauty?

What of the meaning of our lives perhaps etched into our faces?

What of looking into someone’s eyes and into their souls to discover the mysteries that have held them for decades?

The mysteries and wisdom they have to share.

Yes. I do wear makeup.

Yes. I do strive to look my best.

Yes. I do colour my hair.

Perhaps this is an irony in my protestations about aging?

But one thing I do know for sure.

Should the time come that my face starts to age and sag and the wrinkles appear – I will not be seeking out a doctor to iron them out, as if I am a sorry old tablecloth that was left in the dryer for too long.

I shall look into the mirror and revel in my longevity.

I shall look into all those little cracks and crevices and revel in my stories and what a crazy ride it was creating and living them.

My past. My life. My wisdom. My history.

To get to a grand old age is not a privilege afforded to all.

So drink it in. Drink it up. Bathe in your older age.

Revel in all it affords you.

Revel in you Elder Status!

Revel in the opportunity to share your wisdom and live your life with this wisdom as your constant companion and counsel.

Revel in the opportunity to be the real you – pure and unadulterated -  after most likely having taken the best part of you life to figure out who exactly that is.

With this in mind, perhaps we can set new parameters and paradigms for aging.

New expectations.

Ageing gracefully?

Excuse me?

How about just aging honestly.

Aging truthfully.

Share your wisdom with those who are keen to find it.

Celebrating Elders and Youth equally for all they have to offer…..and everything in between ha ha.

Let’s see the gold in the Elders around us and explore it to the full.

Discover. Love. Be. Truth.

It is that easy.

- Christine -