I was directed to this post to the Orange County College Life Blog by Ronni Bennett of Time Goes By (excellent insight on getting older, tackling the issues that confront us as we age), entitled "Hey…Grandma??" where a very intolerant young lady by the name of Ann Austria appears to dislike her college courses including some "elderly" 50 – 65 year-olds.
I’ve got a lot to say about that issue, but the commenters to her article appear to have covered the points in a much more polite manner.
All I might add is that I’d like to see which students college professors prefer in their classrooms. Oh yes and Ann–lose that teddy bear in your photo image.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
Man, I’m almost elderly, according to her.
She may learn, she may not. People were mostly pretty gentle with her, nobody pulled the ‘if we hadn’t paved the way you wouldn’t have the things you have’ card.
One good thing about the baby boom aging, though, we’ll start to hear some kickback against ageism.
As soon as she’s a few years older she’ll no doubt revise her definition of “elderly” up a few notches. It seems a naive question to me, really. I think when we stop learning we begin to die. I also think some people begin that dying process almost at birth. The lucky and most interesting people keep learning all their lives.
To her credit, Ann did answer via another article and did clarify her comments in a wise and thoughtful manner.
I think that sitting and learning in a college classroom beats pinochle at the senior center any day!