International Day of Older Persons 2013

“The future we want: what older persons are saying”

By Terry Orr

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the International Day of Older Persons, observed on 1 October:

“The global community has reached a critical moment in our collective efforts to address poverty and usher in a better future.  The 2015 deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals is fast approaching while discussions on shaping a vision for development beyond that date are intensifying.  In this effort, we must address shifting demographics, especially the needs and concerns of the world’s increasing number of older persons.”

“By 2050, the number of older persons will be twice the number of children in developed countries, and the number of older persons in developing countries is expected to double.  This trend will have profound effects on countries and individuals.”

“There is broad recognition that population ageing presents both a significant opportunity and a challenge.  The opportunity is to benefit from the many contributions older persons make to society.  The challenge is to act on this understanding now through the adoption of policies that promote social inclusion and intergenerational solidarity.”

“We often hear people talk about revering older persons for their wisdom, but older persons also want to have a voice.  In our consultation process for the post-2015 development agenda, the United Nations has heard from more than a million people, including many older persons.  They are calling for a world where all have food, shelter, clean water and sanitation, and access to basic health services and education.  I have included these messages in my vision for a transformative post-2015 development agenda, which is set out in my report, “A Life of Dignity for All”.

THE QUESTION: DO YOU LIKE GETTING OLDER?

By Terry Orr

(Sharing email)

"If you are unwilling to defend your right to your own lives, you are merely like mice trying to argue with owls. You think their ways are wrong. They think you are dinner. "~  Terry Goodkind

I can hit the golf ball any way I can and laugh if it goes in the lake. Them's the breaks. I'm just happy I can still hit that golf ball.

I am forwarding this to those on my Seniors email list because it is so well written. Please send back. (I did) It's neat.  Don't delete this one, you'll laugh when you see the return message.

As I’ve aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world, too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it, if I choose to read, or play, on the computer, until 4 AM, or sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50, 60 & 70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love, I will.

I will walk the beach, in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves, with abandon, if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And, I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years, my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break, when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But, broken hearts are what give us strength, and understanding, and compassion. A heart never broken, is pristine, and sterile, and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.

So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free.  I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).

MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!