Young people rarely worry about their physics capacities. As a matter of fact they take tremendous pride in their physical well being and usually behave as though it were something that will go on forever.
However, by the time people reach middle age certain changes become apparent to challenge this certainty that youthful vigor will last for all time. They realize that their strength and stamina are not what they used to be. They are more exhausted after a day’s work. They need more rest in order to carry on with everyday tasks and it usually takes them longer to recuperate after a serious illness or chronic disease. When these changes become apparent the individual has several courses of action open to him. Two of the most common are:
1) to face the facts and adjust one’s activities and
2) to reject the facts, make believe they do not exist, and go on living, working and playing as though nothing had happened.
There is much to recommend the first course of facing the facts and adjusting one’s adult activities during the retirement years.
Aging also brings with it changes in physical appearance. Wrinkles on skin and gray hair make their appearance, and the time conies when people have to wear bifocals. Eventually everyone has to come to grips with the fact that he looks older. Some people find this hard to accept especially in a country like our own where so much importance is attached to having a youthful appearance and keep skin young. Women spend millions of dollars to cover up the “ravages of time”. Neither are men immune to the propaganda that comes from all quarters - radio, television, newspapers, magazines, billboards and every other technique that is used to encourage people to keep young looking.
Certain questions need to be asked. Are people less attractive because they have gray hair? What effect can the signs of maturity have on the ability of older people to do a good job of living a useful life? More than one person has said they would rather have a mature woman wait on them in a store than a high school girl. Some stores are beginning to understand this preference and hire older as well as younger salespeople.
