Old People are Just the Same As You and I

If you're reading this, and you put yourself in the "old people" category, I apologize for my insulting title. In fact, I almost didn't use it. I've had this song in my head for a while though, and you know how it is with songs-in-your-head.

You know the one. "Short people are just the same as you and I, a fool such as I, all men are brothers until the day that they die, it's a wonderful world." That's the refrain. I'm including it in my post rather than the entire song because it is very much the most charitable part.

The entire song is actually hilarious, though, when it's about short people, but then there's really no such thing as heightism. At least, I've never met a heightist. There may be one, somewhere- a person who is truly prejudiced against everyone shorter than he is. But he is probably a closet heightist, who would never, under any circumstances, admit to being one.

Old age is different, so I want to talk about old age. It seems like most young people completely disregard and disrespect old people. I can vividly remember the reactions of my high school classmates when we visited a nursing home. They fidgeted and made faces at each other. They mentioned the weirdness and creepiness of the residents right in front of them. They searched for their hand sanitizers in their purses.

It can be uncomfortable in a nursing home, honestly, because you will usually meet some mentally ill people. But how did those people become mentally ill? Probably by living alone, in a cheerless place, watching TV mindlessly, and never seeing family! It's really, really sad.

Old people get discriminated against all the time, though: just because of the way they look. An old person's mind may be perfectly sound, and he may be the most interesting person you will meet all week; but you'll never know unless you talk to him. I think it's very similar to a 4-year-old who looks at an adult as a sort of god. Something like this might go through his head: my dad can do anything, except make a mistake; he knows everything, and can protect me from all harm. It's evidence-based- I saw my dad doing things I can't do. I asked him a question, and he knew the answer! He wasn't afraid in the thunderstorm. But it's still faulty reasoning. Now, please tell me you don't still think like a 4-year-old. A 19-year-old looks at an 80-year-old- just as far removed from his age as a 28-year-old dad is from a 4-year-old's age. He thinks, "I've talked to old people before. They drooled, they didn't know anything about my favorite activities, and they couldn't remember what they'd said five seconds ago." BUT THIS IS A DIFFERENT 80-YEAR-OLD THAN THE ONES YOU TALKED TO BEFORE. Please tell me you aren't still GENERALIZING AND STEREOTYPING EVERYTHING after an extra 15 years of life!

I happen to have met several 70-90 year olds who were funny and full of life. I've met writers online who were incredibly intelligent and relatable, and when I found out their age, I was shocked- although I shouldn't have been. For people are truly all the same- they are, they are. And wrinkles and hunched backs and walkers cannot change that.

I would like to know why it is even considered a negative or shameful thing to be old. If a person's age did not equal the number of years he's been alive, THAT would make him weird. The fact is, each person is exactly the age he or she is supposed to be, right now. That means that NOBODY should be ashamed of their age! You should be as happy and proud to turn 51 as you were to turn 5! You should tell everyone, blow up 51 balloons, and ask what your presents are going to be!

Why do we stop celebrating birthdays anyway? And why do women, especially, try to hide their age? Armed with makeup and hair dye and lies. I'm guilty (not of the lies, but at least of not wanting to tell my age) but I proclaim that I will not feel that way any longer! I am 27, and I am proud, yes, proud that my age matches the years I've been on this earth! I am happy that I am exactly the age I'm supposed to be, right at this moment. I do not want to be an age that I'm not supposed to be! I am proud that I am older than the people I am older than, I do not want to be a silly, boy-minded, eyebrow-plucking 20 year old! I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL I'M 30. Oh, 30 year olds, I am so jealous of you. WHAT AN HONOR. WHAT AN HONOR.