I have talked with several people who seem to have lost their purpose in life. I am also one. It is so easy to lose one’s purpose, and it is so very hard to find a new one.  Most of us seniors have viewed our purpose in life as what we did for a living or who we were when we were younger.  In fact, the first thing people used to ask us when we met was, “What do you do?”  We were very tied into “work” whether it was working at a job somewhere  or working at home or raising children and providing a home. 
When a senior retires, it becomes harder to answer that question.

Becoming ill or getting a divorce after many years of marriage is just as devastating as retiring from work.  All of the sudden, you are not able to do what you have done for most of your life - getting up in the morning and getting the job done, whatever it is. 
When we do not have that same job to do, we lose sight of who we were and most of all who we are now.  We are restless and listless.  We are bored.  We are unhappy.

Finding a new purpose in life can be complicated. 
As we age, we encounter more impediments that limit us in our search. We are not able to do as much physically or even mentally as we once did. We do not meet as many new people or “contacts” who might influence us. AND we do not want just to “kill time” or fill our days with boring activities.  We still want to live life to its fullest; we want an exciting reason to keep going.

I personally would love to have a purpose in my life that had me waking up excited about the new day and what I would accomplish. My hopes for all seniors like me is that we do find this special purpose in our lives soon, rather than later.

These two words describe the way some people treat us seniors.  Usually these people are not that much younger than we are – in their 40’s and 50’s. 
Surprisingly, the young are the ones who are so courteous and kind.  They open doors, help across the street, ask to do errands, etc.

I am tired of people treating me as if I have no brain because I am older and walk with a cane. My body has become difficult due to illness and age, but I can still think and adjust. It might take a little longer, but it will happen. 

The other day, a woman, who is probably in her 50’s and works at the senior center where I attend, proceeded to tell us about our new facility. She told us not to be “scared” (her word) about the new place, that it will be a big change, but we would love it once we got used to the idea. I have to tell her that everyone I have spoken with cannot wait to get there, but it would be  wasted, because she would not hear me.   My fellow seniors are older by 10 or more years than I am, but they are not afraid of moving to a new building. Some had concerns about getting there since they arrive in a bus.  But those “fears” had been addressed and resolved.   

The point I am trying to make is that just because we are older than she is does not mean we are senile and cannot accept change. True, we do not like radical change in our lives, but at our age we have become accustomed to changes in everything we encounter. 
 
We are not children with children’s fears and do not deserve to be treated as such. We are adults who have lived for a long time. We do not need to be patronized. We deserve respect because we have experienced most of what younger people have in their future.  We can offer help to them, if they want it and respect the fact that we can help.

The second word in the title really sums up what is going on.  “Rudeness” explains it all.  If someone cannot be respectful of seniors, they have no business working with them. Being rude is a handicap – not being older.