How Do You View Aging?
PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND
December 14, 2022
HOW DO YOU VIEW AGING?
Frank Bures in the December 2018 issue of The Rotarian has an interesting article about aging. The gist of the article is that “our personal perceptions about getting older have a major impact on how we age.” (The Rotarian, December 2018, p. 26) “Much of what we fear about aging – such as losing our hearing, eyesight, mobility, or memories – may actually be caused in part by our belief that we will lose those things.” (The Rotarian, p. 26)
To support his thesis he referenced a study by Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer. Eighty elderly men had their biomarkers of aging measured. They were then sent to a retreat at a location that had the feel of 1959. After a week the men were once again tested. “They were found to have improved hearing, better memory, more grip strength, and increased joint flexibility and dexterity. They were taller and their fingers were longer. More than half of them were smarter. In photos taken after the study, the participants were judged, by impartial observers, to be younger than in photos taken beforehand.” (The Rotarian, p. 26)
Bures argues that we live in a time of negative stereotypes of aging. They have in larger measure influenced how many approached the latter years of their lives. Fortunately, positive aging stereotypes can have the opposite effect. Psychologist Becca Levy in a study by the Yale School of Public
Health has shown in as little as four weeks elderly show improvement in their strength, gait, and balance after being provided with positive stereotypes of aging.
President George W. Bush in his eulogy for his father President George H.W. Bush began with the following quote by Ashley Montago. “Die young as old as possible.” President Bush then went on to show how his father was an example of this advice. Both the elder President Bush and his wife Barbara
offer positive stereotypes of the aging process. To celebrate his 90th birthday President Bush jumped out of a plane.
The first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke contain the announcement and birth of Jesus. There we find several positive aging stereotypes. We have Zechariah and Elizabeth who gave birth to a son in their older years. When Jesus is presented in the temple He is embraced by Simeon and Anna who affirm that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah. Through-out the scriptures we find other stereotypes of older persons who play a significant part in the Biblical drama.
In Romans Paul writes “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) Today we as a nation need to have a renewing of our minds concerning the aging process. Many of the negative stereotypes which seem to dominate our culture need to be put aside and replaced by more positive and more realistic stereotypes of getting older. All around us we have positive examples of people who are flourishing in the senior years of their lives.