My mother is about to turn 63.
I know better than to call her old.
If I have to refer to her age,
I call her ‘older’.
That she can’t argue with.
According to a study
by the Pew Research Center,
people aged 18-29
believe
old age begins at 60.
Respondents over the age of 65
believe old age begins at 74.
Age is relative
and no one truly feels
he/she is the old category.
Never use old
when referring to the group
you’re marketing to.
I find myself looking at the issue from the other side of the fence – that is, most of my clients are much younger than me. While I’m just south of 60, most of the managers and procurement people I work with are just north of 30 or younger.
I absolutely enjoy working with them and always offer them the experience and background I bring to the table. But I have to be careful about “talking down” – and woe to me if I come off as “old”.
It’s a very mixed marketplace with lots of boomers, X’ers and Y’ers running around. Those teachable moments we all hear about can come from all of them.
– J.