OLDER PEOPLE

For the past several years, many (many) people are trying to come up with a new term for older people.  Apparently it is not longer politically correct to say Senior Citizen.  I'm not sure why folks are so negative about this term.  I've loved growing up enough to use the Senior Citizen discounts!  Or Honored Citizen discount.  

As usual, I think the term is respectful and appropriate.  Or even older person.  These do not necessarily mean incompetent or a lesser human being.  Sorry but I am tired of having to say long, complicated verbiage rather than one descriptive word (unless it is widely determined to be negative).

I Googled "senior citizen" and got:

senior, 

old person, 

elderly person, 

elder, 

old fogey, 

dotard, 

Methuselah, 

patriarch; 

retiree, 

golden ager; 

superannuitant; 

old stager, 

old-timer, 

oldie, 

ancient, 

wrinkly, 

crock, 

crumbly; 

buffer, 

josser; 

oldster, 

woopie; 

geriatric;

senex; 

retirer, 
pensionary

I do agree that there is ageism bias when looking for jobs.  That's a whole different blog.  My husband was fired after 25 years with a company and he had to (embarrassingly) accept a position that was ten levels down on the ladder.  Because he was 50!!  He did and after a year or two, was back in the game.  Retired on his 75th birthday.  Took the new company from $1M in sales to $65M in sales.  See?  Older people can be beneficial!!

Several of the terms above ARE derogatory although I have never encountered them in conversation or print.  But I just don't agree that we need to come up with a new generalized group name.  A fellow blogger suggested we be labeled as levels ..... like I would be Level 67. Then the higher we get, (like a video game), the better we sound! 

I did read a great article (reprinted from The Washington Post ... who would not let me read it on their website).  It was called "A New Term for Active Seniors:  Call us Perennials".

Now THAT I could go with!