Redefining 'Elderly'

Last week, when I went to pay for some purchases in a Glasgow business, I chatted for a few moments afterwards with the clerk. And in the course of our talk, I heard something that surprised me. The lady told me she was 80 years old. I’m sure I had an incredulous look on my face because I would have never guessed that that was her age. She’s a vibrant, cheerful, pretty lady - one I’ve known for a long time.

At home that evening, one of my sons stopped by to visit for a bit before we went to a meeting. The subject of age came up. I told him about my experience earlier that day and commented that when I was a kid, anyone who was 80 years old was really old. I mean old physically - wrinkled, bent over, slow moving - and perhaps even old in more than a physical sense. They seemed like there was very little life left in them.

However, that doesn’t hold true in so many cases any more. I watched a video of a 92-year-old woman playing piano on the Grand Ole Opry stage. And I saw a woman who was 90 years old dance like she was 21. I met a group of ladies who ranged in age from 70 to 95. They were all tap dancers and gave regular performances at community events and in nursing homes in their area.

Two gentlemen, one of whom is 85 and the other is 87, play their guitars and sing in nursing homes, at meetings of organizations, in churches. They call themselves The Lucky 80s.

So what, I thought, is the difference between when I was growing up and now?

Housework when I was a child was much more physically demanding than it is now. At that time most people couldn’t afford carpeting, so the floors were either wood or covered in tile or with linoleum and required weekly washing and waxing for sure. They all definitely had to be swept daily.

Dishes were washed by hand. Laundry was done using a wringer washer. Clothes were dried by hanging them on clotheslines. Once they were dry, they were taken into the house wherer they were lightly sprinkled with water and rolled up. Most of the next day was taken up by ironing all the clothes.

Many of the families had large gardens so there was a need to preserve the winter’s food through canning. Picking up whole meals already prepared and taking them home was virtually unheard of. Meals were made from scratch.

No one owned a power lawn mower. Lawns were mowed using a mower with a 14-inch cut that didn’t move unless you pushed it. And I don’t remember ever seeing anyone who used a snow blower to clear the sidewalks and driveways.

When it came to doing any shopping, it wasn’t uncommon to see people walking from their homes to the stores and carrying home their purchases. Visiting friends was often done by walking to their homes.

Today’s society is way beyond being mobile. Now you hardly ever see someone walking even a few blocks to pick up their mail or to church or get a few groceries. Or to work for that matter.

It seems the terms “elderly” and “old” are no longer defined by the calendar.