Ageism is a thing

What does it mean to age gracefully?

To age means to keep having birthdays and become older.

According to Merriam-Webster, Grace is:

: a charming or attractive trait or characteristic

: a pleasing appearance or effect: charm

: ease and suppleness of movement or bearing

So this means getting older while still remaining attractive, charming, and supple is aging gracefully? While I would like to think my charm has increased with age, my attractiveness has slipped and my suppleness is certainly not what it used to be.

Instead, I like to think aging gracefully is being happy with being older. Instead, for instance, of being the grouchy lady who says, “GET OFF MY LAWN!” to the neighborhood kids. I think it also is being more confident in my abilities. At my age, I know pretty much what I can and can’t do. I know what I will or won’t do. I have gotten to the point where I will tell you which it is rather than saying,” I’ll see what I can do.” Aging gracefully for me is becoming confident.

I’ve been thinking of these things because I have been a victim of ageism.

I have two websites. As you know, with this one I am quite open about being an almost 60-year-old. With the other one, I am incognito, although I try to put off the vibe of someone half my age. I must be doing it pretty well because I have been bombarded with ads for birth control. The sad thing is my other website has more traffic than this one. I had a millennial explore and review this website. I was advised that my titles were old-sounding. My name is old-sounding. Poky Penman is old-sounding.

I’m not ashamed of being old. I just wish all those young whippersnappers would realize that I am the same person I was when I was young. I think a lot of young people are under some kind of impression that people morph into oldness leaving their childhoods behind. We are the same. The same mind and the same spirit with an aged body.

Okay, I’m rambling now.

What I really want to say is: Don’t be surprised to see some minor (or even major) changes to this website soon.

By the way, the Bengals did not play the 49ers in the Super Bowl but they still managed to lose. We’ll get them next time. Hopefully, it won’t be 40 more years.