Disrupt Ageing
What is it and how do I do it?
My 14 year old daughter told me the other day that her friends all think I’m “hilarious”. Hmm, what does THAT mean? Am I hilariously embarrassing or do they think I’m genuinely funny?
Getting older can sometimes mean finding more funny things in life. I've raised my kids and now I want to have fun and laugh at myself…and them.
We’re told that turning 50 is the beginning of our long descent into illness and social irrelevance.
But experience gives you permission to say: This is how I am, the best and the worst of me. I don’t need your approval.
Much to the horror of my kids, I plan to disrupt ageing by cutting all my hair off to military buzz length and dyeing it bright pink. I don’t plan on sitting around knitting, I'm going to be clicking my Care Alert Smart Dialler once a week to see how many cute young firefighters show up!
So what does “disrupt ageing” mean exactly? It means to upset the status quo…to not accept stereotypes.
Bob Knight, a professor of psychology at the University of Southern Queensland says many older people fall into the trap of “introjected ageism” and mistakenly blame many of their problems on age, believing there is nothing they can do.
Professor Knight told news.com.au “There’s a belief that any changes in your abilities means everything is starting to change and it’s just not true. If you’re hearing is bad it doesn’t mean you’ll have trouble walking or trouble with your eyesight”.
An Australian Human Rights Commission Report about the stereotypes of older Australians in 2013 listed some of the most common ones as being forgetful, lonely, isolated and likely to be sick. Are you doing something to disrupt ageing? Georgina Harwod certainly did! In March 2015, the South African great-grandmother celebrated her 100th birthday by jumping out of a plane with 15 friends and family members, and followed it up by swimming with sharks. The thrill-seeking granny completed her first tandem jump when she turned 92, in 2007. Being alive for a century is more than enough reason to have a wild birthday party, but Georgina also used her jump to raise money for South Africa's National Sea Rescue Institute. She enjoyed champagne and cake when she touched down and then two days later she went cage diving with great white sharks off the coast of Gansbaai to raise awareness to over fishing practices. Georgina's motto:
“Do it now! Whether it’s comfortable or uncomfortable, good or bad, relaxing or challenging – don’t delay."
I’d love to hear from you if you’ve done something (or know someone who has) to reinvent what it means to age. Maybe you’ve decided to start up your own business, take up belly dancing, get that uni degree or cycle through China. Let’s share these wonderful stories with others and share the inspiration..
kayley@fiftyupclub.com.au
