Fear of aging?
Hush! I'm not that old to worry about aging this soon.
I have just been working with a client who is into real estate. As I go through postings at craigslist, I was surprised to come across phrases such as "mobile home" and "senior community" several times. From the word itself, mobile home, it could be a house that can be moved from one place to another. Hmmm... let me check the web. "Mobile homes (in the United States; are also called trailers or house trailers) or static caravans (in other countries; also called caravans) are prefabricated homes built in factories, rather than on site, and then taken to the place where they will be occupied." (Wikipedia.org). I just thought it's it's "only in the Philippines".
Another phrase that I noticed was "senior community". There is really a place where they put their oldies all together. Maybe because grandma and grandpa demand a quiet place to live in. So, better that they stay in a special place that serves this particular need. It's just very unusual, especially for Filipinos, who love having all family live in their home.
Hush! I'm not that old to worry about aging this soon.
I have just been working with a client who is into real estate. As I go through postings at craigslist, I was surprised to come across phrases such as "mobile home" and "senior community" several times. From the word itself, mobile home, it could be a house that can be moved from one place to another. Hmmm... let me check the web. "Mobile homes (in the United States; are also called trailers or house trailers) or static caravans (in other countries; also called caravans) are prefabricated homes built in factories, rather than on site, and then taken to the place where they will be occupied." (Wikipedia.org). I just thought it's it's "only in the Philippines".
 |
| A mobile home that seems firmly attached to the ground. |
Another phrase that I noticed was "senior community". There is really a place where they put their oldies all together. Maybe because grandma and grandpa demand a quiet place to live in. So, better that they stay in a special place that serves this particular need. It's just very unusual, especially for Filipinos, who love having all family live in their home.
 |
| A sample of senior community |
And that's the reason behind my Gerascophobia - fear of aging. Oh no, I don't wanna be that old that I could no longer do anything but sit and wait for the time to pass away. That my children would just leave me somewhere, all alone in a house, or in an institution. I would still be lucky if that's going to be the case. Here in the Philippines, I saw a lot of old people living along the streets, roaming around, begging for their food.
It also came to my mind that I, just like everybody else there, should work hard while I'm still young to save money for my retirement. If senior citizenship starts at 60, then, that would be approximately 40 years from now. *wink*
Seriously, this life is a constant struggle for a living. If we stop for a moment, that would mean wasting part of our life, losing a chance to earn more for the future. Therefore, we should work 24/7. We should not enjoy the privileg of sleeping. Kidding.
That was just a joke. Let me just remind you that "health is wealth". And everything we earned will go to hospital bills or to nothing at all if we don't take care of our body. More so, we also have to value our family by giving enough time for them.
Another thing came to my mind. That I am lucky to have discovered and have started this career of working online. There will be no retirement as long as my brain and my hands keep working. Viva, virtual assistants! I shall not fear of aging!
Nice piece on aging, Queenie. I had the chance of staying with my Dad 3 yrs. before he passed away at the age of 96. Things I learned:
ReplyDelete1. No one ever feels their age. My Dad actually thought he could still do things that he did when he was younger. It was only his body that restricted him. Result, those who were responsible for his care were stressed to keep him from hurting himself.
2. When physical limitations resulting from aging dictate what you can and cannot do, it can become very frustrating for them. So we must always try to understand our elders. It is not easy on them, not only physically but emotionally as well.
It was hard for my Dad, being a very active man when he was younger both physically and mentally, to accept that he could no longer do things he used to do. Being a very independent and self-made man it must have been difficult to accept that he had to depend on other people.
So if you get to the point where you or anyone you know are caring for parents or any other older relative, it would be nice to keep these things in mind. Because my father could not go out as often as he used to do I would become his eyes to the world. Have the patience to relate stories about your day. It means a lot to them.