Getting older, into

I am afraid of getting older.  Both my maternal grandfather and my mother had Alzheimer’s disease.  Watching them slowly lose their memory and then their physical capabilities was hard. But, not only am I afraid of the disease; I do not want to be forgotten and overlooked.

The elderly in our society are not valued like in other cultures.  We send them to nursing homes, out of view.  Our media sells youth. Commercials tell us to look younger through cosmetic surgery and lotions.  Becoming old is not wanted. Our elders remind us of our own mortality.   

An older woman garners less respect and attention than an elder male.  She goes unnoticed at the grocery store or bank.  According to a 2011 Canadian survey reported in the Toronto Sun, more elderly women than men report routinely being ignored or assumed incompetent.

I do not want to look or act old.  I do not want to be dismissed.  Nor do I want plastic surgery!