Do you think it was a compliment that I received as I confidently descended the steps of a staircase? NO. I said that one day to a 14 or 15 year old teenager who had just been introduced to me. Do you think he took it as a compliment? NO ! He smiled politely at me, but I thought I had insulted him. He probably would have preferred it if I had said to him: “Hey, you look old for your age!” »
Rest assured, it has had time to age since then! He’s probably around 50 now. But is he old? And you, who read me, are you young? What does it mean to you to be young? What does it mean to be old?
For 16 years I have had the honor of being the spokesperson for the organization Les Petits Frères. Their admirable task is to ensure that as many older people as possible are not left to fend for themselves. And there are a lot of them, believe me. And more and more. For what ? Is that normal? Is it the same everywhere on the planet? NO. No way.
Let’s open our minds, our eyes and our ears
When you are young and moving forward in life, you want to learn. We have plans. We want to do this, we want to do that. We want to conquer the world. It’s true, it happens. Sometimes it doesn’t happen, but you have to have goals in life. You may have experienced failures and disappointments. I do. Like everyone else. Also moments of great happiness. And suffering. That’s what it’s all about when you gain years of experience. We learn to accept difficult phases and control our lives as much as possible.
Beauty surrounds us, it is always accessible. But sometimes we don’t see it, we don’t see it anymore. No special skill is required to perceive it. We just need the other to discover or rediscover, to put on a different pair of glasses, to appreciate the beauty of the little things of everyday life and to access a more meaningful existence.
They will tell me that beauty is hard to find for old people who live alone, without friends and without comfort. Especially if they never leave the house. And you will be right.
Age discrimination
October 1st is that International Day of Older Adults. What makes me sad is that ageism is still very common in Quebec. The following applies: the more years life gives you, the more likely it is that you will be alone and isolated. Did you know that in 2022, the proportion of people over 65 in Quebec will exceed that of people under 20?
Some people isolate themselves after an accident, and I completely understand them. I, too, am very active by nature, need peace and distance from time to time. But I’m not isolating myself for weeks! However, this is what people do. They must therefore be sought out and promoted.
I don’t know what decade of your life you are in, but there will be more steps ahead of you. They know that we never stop learning and developing.
If you perceive yourself as “old” or “old” and see a person who still has “scabs to eat” (as you have probably often thought when meeting young people), smile at them. You will surprise them and have opened a beautiful gap in the invisible wall that all too often separates generations.
If you consider yourself “young” and come across an “old person”, smile at him first, if not. It is important to initiate communication.
Every person, whether 25 or 95 years old, should say to themselves every day: “I am here, I live and I am part of this diverse world, and I will try to understand it.” » After all, we are all building it together.
Tell yourself that International Seniors Day occurs 365 days a year.
Beatrice Picard, Actress, sponsor of the Les Petits Frères organization and the Saint-Jérôme senior salon