Baby boomers are aging with attitude
Igo for my evening walk in a park just three houses away from my place. A woman from the neighbourhood met me the other day; first she was surprised to see me listening to music with my earphones on; and her next query was, “Listening to evening prayers?”a pang of guilt tugged at my heart and I thought to myself: Should I be doing that? Am I doing something wrong? I listen to hymns and shabads, but at a different time and in a different ambience. Is she saying this because of my age? I brushed aside the thoughts and said, “No, I’m listening to peppy Bollywood numbers. They give a rhythm and pace to my steps.” She gave me a quizzical look for she was certainly not expecting the reply.
That’s true; we, a generation in our sixties and above, known as baby boomers, are shattering many an age-related myth. With improved life expectancy, we are living 30 years longer than our grandparents. The longevity revolution has created an extra segment of population who, with an extended adulthood, feels squeezed between middle age and old age; when the journey down the hill to debility and feebleness slows down.
Neither society nor individual boomers know how to handle this unprecedented situation and how to use the residual strength and potential. Youngsters with their ‘OK Boomer’ memes are expressing their displeasure at our overstaying in the healthy zone, thus hijacking their opportunities of good jobs and affluent lives. We blameless people are accused of using up resources and services such as geriatric care, without paying anything constructive back to society.
But there is a need for society to understand that confronted with longevity issues, the empty-nest syndrome, and with no specific agenda at hand, we are fighting a lonely battle to keep ourselves afloat, to reinvent and rewire lest we fall into depression. Taking inspiration from legends such as Fauja Singh, Maan Kaur and the Shooter Dadis, who discovered their talent late in life, we too are considering options like exploring our creativity, pursuing new hobbies, taking to the internet and even embarking upon encore careers.
An active lifestyle, social interaction through groups such as senior citizen associations, kitty parties, yoga classes, laughter and book clubs besides school/college reunion clubs have become essential to keep us happier, healthier, socially affable and outgoing. One may call it aging with attitude but we are making our post-retirement a celebration of life.
Be it a wedding or any other get-together, we stand out not only because of our efforts to look elegant and stylish but also due to the vigour and effervescence with which we young oldies dance and revel, bringing us at the centre stage. Videos showing the elderly dancing to pop numbers have taken the internet by storm. In kitty parties, youngsters of the family are awestruck watching us sing and dance with gay abandon.
The energy we boomers exude, the verve for life that we display has made travel companies devise national and international tours, especially designed for senior citizens; and a few all-women tours as well! Sometime back when we friends were planning a visit to a religious place and the Whatsapp group made for the purpose was named Tirath Yatri, objections were raised to change it to something more zippy and zesty.
It is this sense of exuberance and joie de vivre that defines us and our buoyant vivacity has left people puzzled and perplexed. By the way, why should kids have all the fun!
AT PARTIES, WE STAND OUT DUE TO THE VIGOUR WITH WHICH WE DANCE AND REVEL APART FROM LOOKING STYLISH