Taking 鈥榦ld age鈥� out of its old box
As societies debate aging demographics, they are also being transformed by examples that defy stereotypes.
As societies debate aging demographics, they are also being transformed by examples that defy stereotypes.
The famed British actress Glenda Jackson is treading the boards right now as King Lear, reciting from memory all 747 of the character鈥檚 lines during a 3-1/2 hour performance, eight shows a week. It鈥檚 an amazing encore for someone who first won accolades on film and stage decades ago and then left for a much different career as an elected politician in the House of Commons.
Now back on Broadway she鈥檚 among the few actresses to take on one of Shakespeare鈥檚 most demanding male roles. Asked about how 鈥渢he age thing鈥� affects her performance she responds: 鈥淭he essential you is on the inside, it stays the same.鈥�
In London, Maggie Smith, Ms. Jackson鈥檚 senior by a couple of years, is starring in 鈥淎 German Life,鈥� the disturbing real-life confessions of Brunhilde Pomsel, secretary to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. The 鈥淒ownton Abbey鈥� favorite is the whole show in a 100-minute, one-woman play. As expected, her performance has won over critics.
Should such achievements at what is considered 鈥渁dvanced鈥� ages be celebrated? Or are they instead a new norm? Without all the stereotypes about aging, the answers to both questions would be yes. Yet in a culture that still makes jokes about older people and imposes notions of impairment on them, examples of mastery over aging are still needed, especially in societies with a rapidly rising older demographic.
Worldwide, the percentage of people over 60 will nearly double between 2015 and 2050, the World Health Organization reports. By next year, more people will be over 60 than under 5. The agency also notes that the experience of chronological age varies widely: Some 80-year-olds have physical and mental capacities similar to many 20-year-olds. Some athletes in their 80s and older run marathons.
Such shattering of stereotypes is essential to the debate about whether older people will be a boon or a burden to society. The U.S. government just reported that Medicare and Social Security, two key programs serving older Americans, face funding shortfalls in the near future.
One solution would be to encourage Americans to work longer before taking their benefits. That seems to be happening: More than 20% of Americans over 65 are working or are looking for work, a 57-year high; that figure was 10% as recently as 1985. More than three-quarters of older Americans (77%) say they are in good or excellent health with no limitations on the kind of work that they can do, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Some older Americans, of course, can no longer work. Some need to keep working to have enough income. Others enjoy the mental stimulation, the satisfaction of accomplishing goals, and the camaraderie of the workplace.
In recent decades, a phrase like 鈥�65 is the new 55鈥� is updated to higher numbers. But why put a number on it at all? Whether commanding a theater stage or working in an office, expressing one鈥檚 talents and abilities can be satisfying at any age. 聽The "essential you" does not have a sell-by date.