Age-related shaming can occur anywhere — a cold shoulder at the cosmetics counter, a deaf ear at community meetings and, especially, the obtuseness of the medical system.
Ageism and age discrimination are different. Age discrimination raises its ugly head in institutions, corporations and housing. But ageism is subtle and not that complex. When someone addresses me as “young lady,” the implication is that young is good and old is bad. If I act flattered, I’m perpetuating the stigma.
The term “senior moment” is a joke about memory loss related to aging, which is treated like an embarrassment rather than a normal part of getting old. A friend, an 80-year-old grandmother who likes Chance the Rapper and marches in anti-racism demonstrations, is often called “young at heart.” “Young at heart” diminishes the lifelong experiences that have brought her to her own reckonings.
Yes, ageism is subtle, but really, it’s not so complex.
People in power have implicit biases, baked in at birth, passed down from generations like old recipes. Their unrealized thoughts are that people much older are close to death, or that they have had “full lives” or that they no longer care to survive. These never-expressed sentiments guide public policy.
Becoming aware of our inner ageism requires self-education and introspection. But when we experience ageism from others, we tend to think, “This is my problem,” rather than, “This is our problem.” Dismantling ageist thinking and behavior requires collective action, just like movements against racism, sexism and ableism.
Anti-ageism activism is about making personal suffering public. “In our society, there is this endless drumbeat of youth. We need to challenge the underlying message that age decreases your value,” writes Ashton Applewhite, author of “This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism” and the blog “Yo, Is This Ageist?“
Anti-ageism activism starts with each of us calling it out when we see it or experience it. We all want to grow old — but we want to be old with all of our personhood and dignity intact.
— Phyllis Mitzen, Skyline Village Chicago
Apartment hunting
As a student looking for an apartment in Chicago, I can tell you it is a difficult task to accomplish during this pandemic. Every day after work, I go to different websites to see prices for studios and one-bedroom apartments. I have found few options with affordable rents. The rental market and housing market boom are putting affordable housing out of reach of families and students.
It’s not a surprise. The real estate market was initially frozen during the pandemic. Then it shifted into a supply-demand situation, resulting in big price swings. The competitive market is leaving those in search of a home at a disadvantage.
As I keep searching, I wonder if rent prices will fall, and landlords wonder if they’ll rise. Consumers need more granular predictions for the rental and housing market this year and next and more information regarding current trends such as price and rent increases.
— Omara Castillo, Romeoville
On a path to defeat
Someone somewhere has started writing a book with the title: “How two Democratic senators and 95 progressives brought down their own Democratic president in 2024 and turned the House and Senate over to the Republicans in the midterms.”
— David Thiessen, Woodstock
Reverse course, Biden
President Joe Biden claims that he heard what the American people told him in Tuesday’s elections. He said: “People want us to get things done.”
What the American people actually said: “Cut it out! Stop doing what you are doing and reverse course immediately. You’d better separate yourself from Bernie Sanders’ economic ideas and the Squad’s social agenda or your party will get squashed in the midterms!”
— Kenneth P. Olsen, Valparaiso
Actor a shining example
Nothing better corroborates the op-ed by John Lithgow, Deborah Rutter and Natasha Trethewey on the value of arts education (“A famed actor, an arts administrator and a poet laureate on why arts education is essential,” Nov. 4) than the life of Gary Sinise. An indifferent student, his start in theater began with the encouragement of a high school teacher. What a career. Witness his portrayals of Harry Truman and George Wallace.
— Peggy Fasano, Glenview
A note to our readers: For a special Thanksgiving section, we would like to publish letters about what you are thankful for. We are looking for personal stories and thoughtful essays. Submit your letter, of no more than 400 words, with the subject line “Thankful” to letters@chicagotribune.com.
