Of course, this is a very general question. In the U.S., we tend to answer based on our body or physical health and usually revolving around our age.

Our greatest ageism foe is often ourselves. How many of these statements or actions apply to you and may even seem perfectly normal but likely make you feel shameful about your age? And then think about the counter-response that accompanies that statement.

Having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for more than forty years, I know the majesty of a towering redwood, the tallest tree on the planet. They can span more than 400 feet, which is taller than a 37-story skyscraper. A typical redwood lives for 500 to 700 years, although some have been documented at more than 2,000 years old, meaning that some of the coast redwoods living today were alive during the Roman Empire.

Today’s topic may seem like a strange segue after yesterday’s post expressing concern about a potentially declining population. But, while the juxtaposition of these two trends may cause some demographic agita, these are the kinds of questions we like to ask at MEA when we’re donning our sociologist hats.

For the sixth straight year, the U.S. birthrate declined in 2020 and has fallen 20% since 2007. In addition, more restrictive immigration policies capped population growth as well. Recently released Census Bureau population estimates show that from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2020, the nation grew by just 0.35%. This is the lowest annual growth rate since at least 1900.

This recently-published study shows that many advocates for diversity and inclusion in the workplace have cognitive dissonance when it comes to age discrimination. The same progressively-minded folks who support more opportunities for women, people of color, LGBTQ employees and those with a disability often feel conflicted when it comes to keeping older people in the workplace longer.

For the next week leading up to the U.S. Memorial Day, I’m going to riff on the subject of aging in the 21st century. We have four times as many people on the planet today compared to a century ago. It’s not because humans are having more children. It’s because we’re living longer.

The onset of a healthy midlife is that moment when you fall into joyous relief that you don’t have to define the second half of your life based upon someone else’s definition of success. You’ve come to realize that “pursuing” happiness is not nearly as prudent as “practicing” contentment.

How Lessons From Our Furry Friends Can Ease and Enliven Our Transition to Elderhood When we’re young, we never think it will happen to us. Sure, on some level, we know it’s inevitable, but it’s too far away to be real. And then, it happens! We realize that yes, somehow, someway, we have ascended the crest of the proverbial midlife hill and are transitioning to being seniors! When my wife Amy turned sixty, this realization hit us (I will join her in a few months) smack in the face like a well-timed pie! (We’re still licking off the coconut cream!)

MEA alum Rob Hanna and I recently rifted on “manopause,” the physical and psychological symptoms that often affect men in their 50s and are part of the natural aging process. It is estimated that testosterone decreases about 10% every decade after men reach the age of 30.