Why Growing Old Sucks

Gabriela Sanchez

Different cultures worldwide have their own perception of the elderly and what growing old signifies. Western cultures I’ve observed seem to have an intolerable opinion on growing old. You can see it in small things such as the beauty industry; anti-wrinkle creams, masks, and treatments to slow or reverse signs of aging. These may seem harmless but they perpetuate harmful standards. Aging is normal and inevitable. Why build so much stigma around it? This barely scratches the surface. The elderly are treated worse than what I’ve just described. The elderly have to worry about wills and other unfavorable ordinations. Family members will count the days until your passing to take your money, and retirement requirements and money are getting higher and scarcer, as well as senior homes. People have a negative and distanced point of view to old people. Society looks at them as if they’re lightyears away, aliens walking around and sitting at that empty table in the coffee shop. The truth is, we are all going to be old one day. (Inshallah) Senior rights are our rights. If we care for them now and break the negative outlook on them our future will be brighter.