I am 74 YO now. Old is OK actually but I don't want people to think i am getting senile too.
I think senility is most emphasized in cases of noticeably irregular behavior. It is difficult to define what “irregular” is, and some people attach anything to senility when it comes to our senior citizens. It seems to me that older folks who harbor negative attitudes are frequent targets of such a label.
We should be about what things we can control, like refraining from rambling on at every turn about the “good ol’ days” or wearing badly outdated attire. I think it is important to keep the mind sharp, and stay as current as one can on modern life and culture, and consciously provide a positive example of being an elder in this world. I also believe the ability to impart relevant, sober wisdom at the right moments is a privilege of mounting years and experience, but not in the form of a bitter screed, and not just dropping advice “out of the blue”. Again, not seeming ‘irregular’.
It must be said that as I get older, I am much less self-conscious than in my younger days, but I‘m sure letting that go too far would hint that senility is drawing near, at least in the eyes of some. That’s what it really is about, how we present ourselves, isn’t it?
This post was edited by Don Barzini at December 28, 2019 11:20 AM MST