Why do we use the term “elderly”, or “the elderly”, to talk about old people?  The true definition of elderly is not really “old”.   Dictionary.com’s definition reads: “somewhat old; near old age”  AND  “of or pertaining to persons in later life.”   The second definition . . .   how did that come about if the word “elderly” means basically “almost old.”   Have we created a classification of people under the term because its more PC than calling them Blue Haireds or Old People?    Let’s face it, we do not use the term for people who are almost old.  That is reserved for “middle aged.”

I suppose it is important to note there really aren’t good terms to choose in place of “old”.  The thesaurus  at Dictionary.com lists:

“aged, along in years,ancient, broken down,debilitated,decrepit,elderly, enfeebled, experienced, fossil, geriatric, getting on, gray-haired, grizzled,hoary, infirm,mature, matured, notyoung, olden, oldish, over the hill, past one’sprime,seasoned,senile,senior, skilled,superannuated, venerable, versed, veteran, wasted”

Not so pretty . . .  These terms for the most part are awkward, incorrect, clinical or just plain rude.  Can you imagine us referring to the lot as “The Superannuated”?  Not really.

Maybe it has a lot to do with our inability to accept aging.  Or how “old” is so very relative.  There are people of a certain age that it is nearly impossible to see as old or to come close to reconciling them with their age.  Just take one good look at William Shatner.  The man turned 80 this year.  80!!  And he looks 65.

Whether due to botox, plastic surgery, longer life span, more activity in later life, or people’s refusal to grow old, people are staying “younger” longer.  My mother’s parents were OLD when I was little.  My grandparents in their early sixties were OLD.  They looked old, they acted old, they were the proverbial old grandparents.  They spent the last 20 plus years of their lives being old.  My father who hit 62 last year isn’t as old as they were at that age.

Now there is something very cute about the few really old people you run into.  The “elderly”.  They hang on to so many of their habits from yesteryears.  Mom and I were just silly about the cuteness of the old lady we saw on Sunday driving her old car.  I don’t remember what the car was but it was 25 or 30 years old.  And like new!!!  And like a mint green!  Bleck!  Mom pointed out that she more than likely bought that car brand new.  She was so adorable just moseying along, putting her way through the parking lot, driving with her clear plastic rain bonnet on her head tied under her chin.  My grandmother use to wear those!  Goodness . . .   only the elderly . . .

And last night at the restaurant, in comes this OLD couple, shuffling in.  She is just this little thing with white poofy hair, and he is hunched over, now shorter than she, all decked out in his kelly green pants and matching green and pink plaid blazer.  They were so cute!!

And our senior resident had stashed a cookie in her purse for the office manger to take home to her husband. She is 98, I believe, French, walks with a walker, and deaf as all can be.  She knew she had the cookie in her purse, but could not locate it by just sifting through.  So!  Out comes the contents of the purse!  She splays the items on the counter and it’s like Wakko’s bag from Animaniacs.  Out of this tiny bag comes a huge pile of not so small things.  This in itself is comical.

First thing she pulls out, two dinner rolls wrapped in a paper napkin.  She has just come in from being out.  I can assume she had eaten out and wrapped the uneaten bread up, shoved it in her purse to take it home.  Another thing my grandmother did with frequency.  Bread, baked potatoes. . . .   anything.  And no doggie bags, just straight into the purse!

The second thing to be pulled out?  A clear plastic rain bonnet!!!  I do not remember all what else was in that purse, but everything was big and bulky and both seemingly out of place and completely perfect.  She was just too adorable for words in that moment.

I wonder if that genre is a dying bread.  I know my mother won’t be driving a 30 year old vehicle in a rain bonnet, EVER.  The baby boomer generation will probably never turn old as we know it.  We will watch them age, but not the same as we have seen before.  The largest, and noted as the most powerful, generation in American history, have spent their lives completely changing the world around them.  They are activists, having lived through, and built a new world from, the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement during Vietnam, Women’s Rights.  They created a country of economic success, bringing about the bridge from the world of industry into a world of technology.  A world once filled with blue and grey collar workers became one of white collar  dominance.  They changed the idea of middle class.  Blew up the middle class.  This generation holds 80% of the world’s wealth and is responsible for over 50% of consumer spending.

These people will never be what “the Greatest Generation on Earth” was in their old age.  Their parents having lived through The Great Depression and WWII, were hard workers and great people who accomplished great things.  But, the events that molded their children, and who they became, and the world they created is so extremely different, they will be a brand new generation of retirees.  Retirees that might continue to work, and definitely continue to buy, roll with the times rather than get stuck in the times they knew . . .   These people are movers and shakers.  No more rain bonnets and plaid jackets and ancient cars.  Unless its a classic muscle car . . .   a completely different bag.

So . . . with the dying bread, will the term “elderly” eventually die as well?  Will we have to create or adapt a new term to suit the newly molded ideas of “old”?  For some reason, “almost old” still does not fit these folks up and coming into “the elderly” age.