I’ve been watching Night Sky—or at least trying to—and it’s got me reflecting on something that’s equal parts amazing, sad, and downright frustrating: society’s attitudes toward aging and being “old.”
As someone who grew up with a father who had me at 50 and lived vibrantly to 95, I’ve seen firsthand the extreme prejudice aging populations endure. It’s pervasive—from pop culture to healthcare professionals, even the legal system.
Let’s be honest: most people today see growing old as worse than death. It’s in the way doctors prescribe instead of care, the way nurses dismiss, and the way society worships youth at the expense of wisdom.
Take the VA care my father received. At 83, he was thriving on baby aspirin before we sought their “help.” A doctor half his age scoffed, saying, “I’m on a dozen meds and half his age!”—as if overmedication was an achievement! The VA became the biggest drug pusher I’d ever encountered.
And when that same system ultimately failed my father, the narrative I heard over and over was, “Well, he lived a long life. We should all be so lucky.” Lucky? No justice, no accountability—just a shrug because, apparently, being old means your suffering doesn’t matter.
Here’s the thing: aging doesn’t mean settling for inferior healthcare or accepting misery. It’s society that tells us to “act our age” and embrace decline like it’s inevitable. That narrative is a lie.
My father showed me that you can age gracefully, stay sharp, and live well. Sure, challenges come at any age—but they don’t have to define your experience. The problem isn’t aging itself; it’s the damaging script that says “youth is everything” and “old age is a tragedy.”
We need to rewrite that script. We’re evolving as a species. Sixty isn’t old anymore—it’s a gateway to decades of potential. Don’t let doctors, lawyers, or pop culture convince you otherwise. You deserve dignity, care, and the belief that life gets better—not worse—with age.
It’s time to challenge the lies. Aging isn’t the enemy; outdated thinking is. Let’s embrace wisdom, vitality, and the truth that growing older can be one of life’s greatest privileges. 🌟
