Nobody Calls Baby a Senior!

The language of getting old is about to be revolutionized by the Baby Boomers. Apparently we just don't like the words that have always been associated with "old." I participated in an American Society on Aging (www.asaging.com) webinar yesterday titled, "Mature Women: What They Want and Need and Why You Should Care" presented by Helen Dennis and Laura Rossman.

I learned I was an "alpha daughter" to my late parents, that older women are still relatively invisible in the media and that Jane Fonda, who is still very visible in the media, has a new fitness program called "Sit and Strong." But what really caught my ear and eye was the part about mature women hating to be called "mature." The presenters admitted they were a bit perplexed about that because they have a "Mature Women" summit at the upcoming ASA Conference in April. I giggled in the muted privacy of my office. And then I started thinking about all the other "old stuff" we Boomers don't like being called.

When I was thirty-something, the AARP Magazine used to be called "Modern Maturity." I'd see it in my parents' mail basket. Now it's just called "The Magazine," albeit with a big AARP behind that title. Boomers don't like "senior" or "geriatric" either. We don't even like "retirement," although some of us like the idea of being retired. We loved the movie, "Cocoon," but we don't want to star in our own version of it. We're the "Not Ready for Senior Center Players" ready for our Saturday Night Live Close-up, except only Betty White seems to get that kind of attention. Neighborhood Center, yes. Senior Center, no.

One of the webinar presenters said businesses who want to attract Boomer women need to "watch your images." You need to know that we are single, married or partnered. We are "aging" but not "old." We're independent. We like to be pictured with our best friends, our adult children and grandchildren. We like to be recognized as financially savvy, healthy and educated....but not old. Maybe it's just a huge groundswell of denial, but I'm inclined to think it's a happy-face opportunity to create new words the way Boomers always have. We're not old, we're "WAY far out." Groovy.