50+ Lifestyles

Who are you Calling Old?

By Anne Coffman
Marketing Director at Ridgecrest Village

When I was younger and living on a farm, helping with fieldwork and livestock, and raising three young sons, I was always exhausted. There were many nights I barely had enough energy to eat before I would crawl into bed. My theme song was Garth Brooks “I’m much too young to feel this damn old.”

Fast forward almost four decades and although I cannot do some things like I used to, overall, I feel spryer and happier. I don’t feel 60! So why when someone calls me Ma’am, why do I cringe? To me, Ma’am is a sign of respect meant for someone who is older. So maybe I must admit that I am now that older person. What?

When are we considered “older”? When we get gray hair and wrinkles? Or perhaps upon retirement, the arrival of grandchildren, or maybe just when you realize you are no longer part of the young crazy crowd at a wedding? Probably a little of everything combined. It’s a gentle shift of mindset that tends to sneak up on us over time.

Many people look at getting older is as a time of fragility and less of everything. On the other hand, you can choose to look at it as a time of freedom, happiness, and abundance. I work in a retirement community and watch people enjoy their lives every day.

They say today 60 is the new 40, and I would have to agree. Today’s 60-year-old can do more and are in better shape than our parents and grandparents were at the same age. We are more adventurous and take more risks. We have time to enjoy many things that we didn’t have time for while we were busy with a family and/or a career.

Because I try to stay active on a daily basis and most days feel much younger than my stated age of 60. Deep in my core, I believe age is just a number. But please don’t call me ma’am!

Anne Coffman is Marketing Director for Ridgecrest Village in Davenport, Iowa. For more information about Ridgecrest Village, contact Anne at 563-388-3215