The Discrimination You Cannot Avoid

Ankesh,

Thanks for adding.

AGE-ISM is NOT about someone's choice - like Agassi keeping on playing. It's about the ATTITUDE of Others as far as AGE is concerned. That people - all people - are judged by their Age - AND - that it is Accepted Without Question.

And it has nothing to do with what is out of the ordinary. There is no ordinary. Older people have ALWAYS been active in all fields. But they are Questioned about it, all the time.

As much as you try to Justify it, and pass it off, it exists as if for its own discriminatory sake. People - everyone - participate in it, and are victims of it.

The only way to end it, is to expose it and call it out whenever it is used - without going overboard as some of the Minority Groups have a tendency to do.

Michael Ross

Originally Posted by MichaelRoss

That's right. There is a... form of discrimination...

I am talking about, what I call, AGE-ISM. The act of discriminating against someone based on their age, and making age an issue when it shouldn't be - and there is never a time when it should be.

People even discriminate against themselves. They reach a certain Age and figure they Now need to X - whatever X is and it could be Retire, settle down, stop playing the field, buy a home for security, whatever. But WHO says?

Michael Ross

I certainly agree with you on this topic. At the time I started my own home-based business, it wasn't even a issue at the time. But, now that I'm in my second half century, retirement looms as one of the BIG issues.

I decided to table the issue, and postpone any plans of voluntary retirement until my 97th birthday. If I'm still able to choose what I do in life at 97, I'll consider retiring then.

As an employee, the reasons for retirement are completely different, and also out of the hands of the employee. As a business owner, with no store or office outside my home, I truly determine which hours and days I work. I don't have a boss or supervisor to answer to, and haven't punched a clock in over 15 years.

My customer's will have the option of choosing to do business with someone younger, but that will occur one at a time, and many would prefer to continue with a known supplier with years of experience, rather that opting for an unknown source.

Whether I reach 97 remains to be seen. That birthday is only 42 1/2 years away for me, so check back here then to see if I'm posting my retirement notice.

In case my obituary is published before my 97th birthday, the retirement party will be cancelled.

Dennis Bevers

I agree discrimination in all forms is insidious, and most of all stupid, but age discrimination is one of the worst. What our elders may have lost in speed they make up for in wisdom. They often come from a generation that believes in hard work, in fact my inlaws in their 70s can out work most people in their 40s. So lets give this generation the honor they deserve.
James

This past winter I stopped in an Arizona rest stop and saw a gray haired man standing by his bicycle, outfitted for touring. It was an inexpensive bicycle and the panniers for hauling stuff were very old. Because I am into long distance bicycling I initiated a conversation with the fellow. This man said he was forced into retirement, and had only social security, plus menial jobs along the way, to keep body and soul together. He had taken to the road because "I don't have anything better to do." He found the quality of life better on his bicycle with such low income than what it would be if he stayed put.

I never asked for the details of why he was forced to retire. I know it's against the law to force one out because of age, but there are certainly ways to make a person flee a job to keep his peace of mind.

All of us baby boomers have been warned time and again not to count on Social Security. Fact is, SS will be the only income for many of us. I can't imagine that so-called safety net disappearing, as some predict, but even if it does still exist when retirement arrives, forced or not, it won't be comfortable. My bicycling hobby may develop into a very practical pursuit down the road (so to speak).