It used to be that turning 60 was the beginning of the end. You were ‘old’. Work was finishing, and if you were lucky, you’d have a bit of time before dying. Essentially, you were old. And everyone knew it.
Now, 60 is different. For many of us, we feel in our prime, or not far off it. Sure, we may have a few aches and pains, but we don’t feel old. And more and more, it feels like we’re much nearer middle age than old age. Middle age with seasoning, maybe.
A New Balance
Most of us have experienced grief and loss by this age. We know first-hand that some realities of life cannot be changed. We’ve mostly learned, or learning, self-acceptance.
To balance that, though, and set us apart from our mothers and fathers is that we are more confident. We’re more outward looking. We try new things, and we feel “damn good” many days.
Women in particular can feel great at 60. We have new expectations for our lives. We are less likely to blend into the background. We’re not the ‘old lady’ of earlier years.
Men have become ‘younger’, too. Just ask them. Many hard labour jobs have been lost, making way for easier-on-the-body jobs. Men are far from how their fathers and grandfathers were at this age. We just don’t notice the contrast as much because they’ve always gone out into the world.
Old Age has been Pushed Back
It’s bizarre to be lumped into the elderly category when you feel so young. How many times have you heard, “I’m 60, but I feel much younger!”
A small part of society has caught up. It’s not uncommon for advertisements aimed at those aged 60 plus to use actors in their 70s or 80s. It’s so jarring to see this now. It feels wrong to be labelled as elderly at 60.
Because the reality is that for most of us, turning 60 is just the start of getting older. Old is years away. Sure, we’ll move into regular old age ….but that could be 15 or more years away!
Pulling it together
At 60 today, we are just getting started. We’ve got amazing experiences to draw upon and honed many skills. We’ve got perspective on life and know about living well.
We’ve expanded our horizons beyond any previous generation turning 60. And with work and family obligations now reducing, we have freedom to find deeper fulfillment. And we have a hell of a lot to offer the community. It’s the wisdom years.
You mightn’t be 60 yet, but what will you do when you get there?
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Welcome to the Fulfilling Years
