Comments on: WHAT IS OLD (in politics and in life?)

By: NinydruddenuE

NinydruddenuE — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:11:29 +0000

Hi people

As a fresh annesummers.com.au user i only wanted to say hi to everyone else who uses this forum

By: Paula Rush

Paula Rush — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 03:54:21 +0000

Excellent article Anne – particularly the last three paragraphs.

If Shakespeare is to be believed, then quite a number of the current crop of politicians in Government ranks are old men:-

“Lord, lord, how subject we old men are to this vice of lying!”

Falstaff, 2 King Henry 1V

By: Alan Pearce

Alan Pearce — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:57:28 +0000

Horrified, you must lead a sheltered life!!

By: Anne Summers

Anne Summers — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:38:50 +0000

I was unable to get the official definitions of “young old”, “middle old” and “old old” -or whatever the official terminology is – but I strenuously object to 60 year olds being described as “elderly. It may be just because I am 62. Once I would have thought that was old but I doubt I would ever have seen it as elderly. I’d say 70 is old, 80 is elderly and 90 is wise. After 100 I guess you stop caring but – who knows, once we are that age we may see it differently!

By: robhbldn@hotmail.com

robhbldn@hotmail.com — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:53:37 +0000

A good article.

I have one query. When does “elderly” apply to people. In past years a person my age, 63, if hit by a bus was always described in the media as elderly. I assumed this was an apt description and still do as elderly does not imply geriatric or incapable, but surely aged well and wise.

My friends, same age group, generally go bonkers if described as elderly and insist that they are middle aged….as does one 70 year old relative and a 49 year old sister in law ( if we can call a defacto relation thus) has hysterics at the imputation. So when is middle age? I always say 35 to 55, or 60 to stretch a point, with elderly following on to death which in Australia is commonly in the 8th decade.

Perhaps in a youth obsessed society we should start reclaiming the term elderly and give it a real and generous meaning.

I an elderly. very fit and active and creatively and sexually alive, and proud to use the”e” appelation. John howard is elderly and we should say so without derrogative sneers.

I prefer “elderly” to “senior”. But then perhaps we become pre junior citizens (0 to 18) junior citizens (18 to 35) pre senior citizens (35 to 60) senior citzens (60 to doddery) and then past it citizens

You use the word OLD to imply horribleness and ELDERLY to imply extreme old age plus wisdom. I say old is ok so there! Glen Close is definitely old as are Tina, Seamus, Ralph, Sir David and Francis. They are old and elderly and should be proud of it. Looking younger due to plastic surgery or the benevolence of genes doesn’t mean that OLD is in abeyance or that elderly is put off for a few years. Its an age thing not an appearance thing. It’s a .reality thing

Can you help clear up my elderly confusions