Aging in America Blog #1

What do I think about people over the age of 65 and why?

Well, I think I have a very different view of people over the age of 65 because about 80% of my neighbors are over the age of 65. No, I don't live in a retirement community, I'm only 25 but I do joke that I'm the youngest person living here (at the very least I'm the youngest homeowner). I live in a town home community in Mandarin.

Every time I come into or leave my neighborhood, I see a neighbor. They're walking their dogs, visiting with other neighbors, checking the mail (we have community mailboxes), or just getting some exercise. I see people over 65 as being very active. One of my neighbors we all affectionately call Cowboy is probably the most active. Not only is he the glorified handyman of the neighborhood but his preferred method of transportation is his bicycle, basket included.

Something else I see in people over 65 that I think most other 20-somethings wouldn't notice is their incredible sense of humor. A few friends and I were getting ready for a day at the mud hole (I swear I'm not that much of a redneck, I just like big trucks). We were packing our cooler with beer, and my neighbor Mr. B. came outside and said "Hey, toss an old man a beer!" We promptly told him he could have as many as he liked to which he responded, "You guys know Mrs. B. will kill me if I do! But maybe just one." We could all see Mrs. B. watching and laughing behind the screen door to their patio.

Now that I think about it, the interactions I have with my neighbors is completely normal. In my day-to-day interactions with my neighbors, I don't think to myself, "Yeah, my neighbors are all so old," I just see them as neighbors and friends. So I guess what I've lead myself to realize in writing this is that I really don't think any differently about people over the age of 65 than I do the people under the age of 65.