I SEE THIS LABEL used a lot. But it hit me that I really didn’t know what “senior” means. I know it’s used to describe old people. But truthfully, I don’t know what “old” means, either.
We’ve been manipulated into believing that, when we turn 65, we automatically turn old—which isn’t true. It’s a mistake to label people based on their age, because biological age can vary considerably from chronological age. A person’s age is a meaningless number unless we’re dealing with hard-and-fast rules, like when we’re eligible to claim Social Security and Medicare.
I like hanging around retirement rebels—people who are rebelling against outdated beliefs about old people and what it means to be retired. We’ve been brainwashed into believing that people aren’t supposed to celebrate their 100th birthday by skydiving, and that they shouldn’t attempt an Ironman in their 80s, start a new business in their 70s or complete that degree they never finished in their 90s. But “seniors” are doing all these things—and they’re the people having all the fun in retirement.
Retirement rebels remain kids at heart, living on the edge, exploring their potential, travelling to new places, meeting new people, learning new technologies and entering marathons in different countries, and posting about it on social media. Are these people old? I think not.
