Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1957-07-04
Younger Than We Think =

The Reverend Herman NJ Wilson, Admins
traitor for the Asbury Methodist Home in Cath
ersburg, in commenting the subject of Senior
Citizens and free time says 1--WE are never too
old to be engaged in purpoSeful activities. AS a
matter of fact most of us are younger than we
think we are" He adds, people who fail to adj
just satisfactorily to retirement-those who lose
their ZeSt for living-can usually expect to live
only a few years after they retire. People must
have something to do in which they are inter
ested"
The Reverend Wilson went on to say that
elderly people have always been part of every
community, but in the past they have been a
minority group Today, they fast becoming
conscious of the fact that we have good chance
Of living for some time beyond the retirement
age We have thought youth and talked youth so
much that little no planning has been done
for the retirement years AS result, great
number of our folk die from the shock of retiring
Our dress manners, customs, movies, music and
even our literature have focused attention on
youth with the implication that the years that
follow are merely anticlimax
The corollary of this has been the neglect of
the aging. Our American economy has assumed
that when a person reaches certain age, re-
CARELESS of his physical and mental health and
vitality, his usefulness is over and he should be
replaced by a younger person. In this modern
age, retirement so often implies uselessness, de-
pendence and neglect
This is a false philosophy and is one of the
first things that we must overcome in solving
the problems of the aging. We have believed it
so long that when we reach retirement we take it
for granted. We feel are done for when real.
ly we should feel that life is just beginning Now
we can devote our wisdom and accumulated ex
perience to the many tasks that are crying for
attention. The trouble with most of us is that we
think only of the work we are now doing and
the earning of a living when we should be think
ing of life as a whole.
1t Is always the other fellow who is old; it
will never happen to me. If we are to enjoy the
free time which is to be ours, we must plan for
it. We should study our finances. What will
our income be when we retire; the amount of
our pension, Social Security and other income?
Think about where we are going to live, in our
present home and community, or in a smaller
house or apartment Should we move to warm
er climate or is it more important that we stay
near relatives and friends?
We should watch our health and not allow
diseases which sometimes come with the aging
process to get the best of Above ALL we should
resolve that we going to be useful as long as
we live
The matter of aging IS fast becoming one of
the major problems of the present day. The num-
Der of people IS years of age and over in this
country is increasing rapidly. Today there are
about ID million people over 65. Where shall we
live? What shall we do? These, and many Others
are needs which time puts upon all of us who
live into old age They are very real, everyday
problems for great numbers of our population
problems which seem almost unsolvable for so
many aging persons.
If we need job to supplement our income,
we should be checking on the type of opportuni-
ties that are available for older people. This can
be done by contracting your local employment
agency, your State Commission on Aging, the Ma
tional Committee On Aging, as well many other
agencies that are dealing with employment for
our older citizens. If you do not need to supple
ment your income, give your time to one of the
many agencies needing voluntary workers.
You will get thrill out of working without
pay through the giving of yourself to the build.