The Lives of Seniors?

Earlier this week, I read in the business section of the paper about the upsurge in building senior communities. Nice, given the housing crisis the last couple of years. Someday, those communities might be an attractive option for the two of us. Even if it means no more watching for our daffodils to poke their heads up in the spring and gardening in the summer sun.

There was one line in the article that caught my eye - or might I say, raised my eyebrows. It was how such communities offered a better life for seniors than "living in single family dwellings and watching TV." I kid you not. Watching TV? What a description of seniors living in their own homes?

I imagine what the writer of the article meant is that for seniors who have limited mobility, living in a communal settings does create more options. But that's not was printed. Not all seniors living in community settings or living in their own homes have limited mobility. And it denigrates the ingenuity of aging seniors to find ways to live busy and active lives. After all, older folks do have friends and family . . .

It was the patronizing attitude toward older adults that set my teeth on edge. Most seniors that I know complain more of too much activity in their lives rather than a generalized boredom resolved only by watching TV.

This embedded value in our culture says a person is only of worth if they are working to pay the rent. As though the only purpose in life to earn money. If you aren't, you are second class and written off. That includes stay-at-home Moms (or Dads), people who manage to support themselves on part-time income, the unemployed, couples who simplify their lives so that one income is sufficient, and anyone with non-earned income (which includes many seniors). And many of my writer friends in committed relationships, whose life-partner brings home the bucks to help their beloved birth a dream. After all, making a living as a writer does fall in the rare event category.

Yes, there are couch potatoes of all ages who absorb too many hours of TV - or computer games (and  yes seniors do play computer games and engage in social networking sites). There are a far greater number people past the senior cut-off age of 55 (or 50, according to AARP) who spent their time doing all kinds of interesting - and productive - things with their time. They take writing classes at the Loft and art classes at Banfill-Locke, volunteer their time and accumulated wisdom, love their families and friends, mentor their grandchildren, teach English as a second or third language, start new businesses or progessions, lobby at the Legislature . . . The list goes on and on.

Yesterday, I began reading a book written by a local artist:, Lucy Rose Fischer, titled I'm New at Being Old. The book is delightful. And just as interesting is her bio at the back of the book. She was an award-winning PhD research scientist, who  asked herself as she approached 60, "how old do I have to be to follow my dream?" Now she is an artists whose work has been in more than 50 exhibits.

Now, what was that about watching TV?