Past the Stereotypes: Redefining What Aging Really Looks Like
Let’s be clear: aging doesn’t mean fading into the background. It doesn’t mean shrinking, softening or settling into some tired script that was written for us decades ago. It means we finally get to rewrite the script — our way. So, let’s talk about a few of the tired old stereotypes we’re tossing out the window.
1. You have to dress “age appropriate.”
Translation: beige cardigans and orthopedic shoes. Nope. We’re wearing leather jackets, bold colors and even sneakers with dresses if we feel like it. Age-appropriate is whatever makes you feel alive when you catch your reflection in the mirror.
2. Older women don’t go out at night.
Apparently, we’re supposed to be tucked in with chamomile tea by 7 pm. Not happening. We’re sipping cocktails, dancing and closing out the dessert menu. The city doesn’t sleep and neither do we.
3. If you’re single past 60, you must be lonely.
This one’s my favorite. Freedom looks good on us. We get to choose exactly who, what, and where we spend our time — and that’s powerful. Lonely? Hardly. Liberated? Absolutely.
4. Boomers can’t use technology.
We may ask “what’s the Wi-Fi password?” but let’s not pretend we’re clueless. We’re running online businesses, growing TikTok accounts, and keeping family group chats more active than half the millennials out there.
5. Aging means slowing down.
Not unless we choose to. We’re hiking, traveling, starting side hustles and learning new hobbies just to keep life interesting. Slowing down is an option, not an inevitability.
6. Only “eccentrics” get noticed.
You don’t have to wear sequins to brunch to prove you’re vibrant. You can be stylish, magnetic and unapologetically yourself without turning into a caricature. Normal, everyday fabulousness is enough.
7. You should “act your age.”
The whole point? No one actually knows what that means anymore. So we’ll laugh, explore, love and live exactly how we want. If that isn’t acting our age, then maybe “our age” just looks a little different than you expected.
The stereotypes don’t define us. We define us. And if that makes people uncomfortable — well, maybe they’re just going to have to get over it.