I encourage anyone reading this column to come out to Pilgrim Congregational Church on Thursday, Oct. 9 to hear Dr. Becca Levy, author of the book Breaking The Age Code.
Oct. 9 also happens to be Ageism Awareness Day.
Dr. Levy will speak about how your beliefs about aging determine how long and how well you live. She will also talk about her current research project in Oak Park, and she will answer your questions.
She might also talk about the contradiction between fearing and denying something that is inevitable.
Modeled after the United Nation’s International Day of Older Persons (Oct. 1), Ageism Awareness Day provides an opportunity to draw attention to the existence and impact of ageism in our society.
Ageism refers to stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel), and discrimination (how we act) toward others or ourselves based on age. Ageism negatively impacts our health and well-being, our financial security, and the economy. It exists in many forms, influencing everything from personal interactions to public policy, and impacts us at every age.
Has anyone ever called you “sweetie” just because of your age? Have you ever lost out on a promotion just because of your age? Has a doctor ever told you, “What do you expect at your age?”
Have you ever bought one of those “old age birthday cards” at the supermarket or hardware store? You know the ones: not even close to funny, rather shaming us for being old.
Unconscious bias is just that – unconscious. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that half the world’s population is ageist against older people.
The village of Oak Park’s Aging in Communities Commission is sponsoring the Ageism Awareness Day program (I am chairperson of the Commission). Like last year, which featured Ashton Applewhite, Becca Levy is a world-famous ageism speaker, researcher and activist. Why not take advantage of her appearance in Oak Park? Come on out to the Ageism Awareness Day program at Pilgrim Congregational Church on Thursday, Oct. 9.
The program is free. It starts at 6 p.m. with finger food for everybody.