Gosh, it's been a very long time since I posted on this page. Sorry about that ... the usual excuses: I was busy/ out/ bored/ forgetful/ looking out of the window.
Anyway, those who have worked with me, or who have the pleasure of being mutually connected on FB, will know that I can get a little irate about generational stereotypes, particularly of 'the elderly' ( which always makes me want to ask 'the who?' - but not in a way to suggest The Who).
I'm bored of 'the elderly' who are 'bed-blocking' 'grannies' who wear 'cardigans' - and by assumptions that everyone over state pension age is a) stinking rich b) ate every younger generation's pies (so to speak) c) needs 24 hour care d) doesn't have a functioning brain e) Cannot Make Own Decisions and f) Is Solely and Personally Responsible For Everything That Everyone Under Pension Age Didn't Like Ever - like Brexit, and House Prices, and Arsenal (probably).
It's old fashioned. It's boring. It's outmoded. It's lazy. Pack it in - and while you're at it, please also cut out all the nonsense about 'baby boomers': a term mostly used by people who seem to have no idea what this means. It's a bit like 'Millennial' (?), a frankly silly term which seems to mean everyone aged 18-35, but which in turn actually means everyone born between 1981 and 1998. I'd have thought a Millennial would have meant something more likely such as being born in 2000 - but then, hey, I was born in the 1960s so am apparently rapidly heading for the 'elderly' bed blocking' 'idiot' stage. Clearly.
Which isn't really a story. But hopefully the next bit is, if only in the sense of offering some amusement, as I decided recently to offer some alternative ways of stereotyping adults in each decade, and then thought you might like to see it. Enjoy :-)
Anyway, those who have worked with me, or who have the pleasure of being mutually connected on FB, will know that I can get a little irate about generational stereotypes, particularly of 'the elderly' ( which always makes me want to ask 'the who?' - but not in a way to suggest The Who).
I'm bored of 'the elderly' who are 'bed-blocking' 'grannies' who wear 'cardigans' - and by assumptions that everyone over state pension age is a) stinking rich b) ate every younger generation's pies (so to speak) c) needs 24 hour care d) doesn't have a functioning brain e) Cannot Make Own Decisions and f) Is Solely and Personally Responsible For Everything That Everyone Under Pension Age Didn't Like Ever - like Brexit, and House Prices, and Arsenal (probably).
It's old fashioned. It's boring. It's outmoded. It's lazy. Pack it in - and while you're at it, please also cut out all the nonsense about 'baby boomers': a term mostly used by people who seem to have no idea what this means. It's a bit like 'Millennial' (?), a frankly silly term which seems to mean everyone aged 18-35, but which in turn actually means everyone born between 1981 and 1998. I'd have thought a Millennial would have meant something more likely such as being born in 2000 - but then, hey, I was born in the 1960s so am apparently rapidly heading for the 'elderly' bed blocking' 'idiot' stage. Clearly.
Which isn't really a story. But hopefully the next bit is, if only in the sense of offering some amusement, as I decided recently to offer some alternative ways of stereotyping adults in each decade, and then thought you might like to see it. Enjoy :-)
- Everyone in their 20s works zero hours contracts and has the attention span of that animated dog Doug from the film - *squirrel*
- Those in their 30s are a slightly surprising combination of The Backstreet Boys and Mother Theresa: we're gonna save the world, man/dude!! Just hang on a minute while we brush out the artisinal breadcrumbs from our organic sandals and unpack from our latest climate-changing long-distance flight.
- People in their 40s are trying to pretend they're not. Some, in their efforts to retain their youth, revert too far back and re-enter adolescence. Meh.
- Those in their 50s are thinking either 'WTF?' or 'When the hell did that happen?' Many are thinking both. All the time.
- People in their 60s are keeping their fingers tightly crossed that they can hang on financially until their pensions kick in, meanwhile battling the 20-somethings for those fine zero hours jobs.
- Everyone in their 70s breathes a collective sigh of relief. Then tries to fit 3 decades' worth of what they really wanted to do in life into the next 10 years.
- Those in their 80s wonder not only how come it was only 10 years ago that they were aged 35, but who the blue blazes is that in the mirror?
- People in their 90s look on - bemused and amused, often in equal measure. Sometimes not.
- Everyone in their 100s puts it down to alcohol. Except for the odd killjoy, who claims it's a result of hard work and gravy. Fortunately, no one listens to them. Ever.
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