Do you remember your parents talking about aging? I cannot remember such conversations. Maybe I was too involved with my young self but it was not part of the conversation. Growing old was part of the course of life. My parents were much more ‘settled’ than I have ever perceived myself. They did not talk about second careers or about getting together with friends to form a co-housing partnership in old age. We are the first ones who actually prepare for old age. I think our parents have been surprised about how long their retirement or time of old age has been lasting. They did not see it with their parents but we baby boomers experience it first hand with our aging parents. We are overwhelmed with taking care of them. We fear our own old age when we look at them. This is why we are starting to talk about old age in our 5os why before we actually come close to feeling weak or diminished in our capacities. So, there  is this paradox that even though we are much ‘younger’ than our parents in their 50s, we start talking about aging much earlier than they did.

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