The elderly have so many attributes that are associated with them. A few are good, like they are wise, but most are bad. They range from not being good with technology to physical appearance to emotional happiness. Most of these stereotypes will work for the majority of the elderly but definitely not for all of them.
When only looking at physical attributes we see a huge rang of body deterioration depending on the person. My Dad is 58, still looks good, and is in great health. My best friends Grandma is only 59 but she looks like she is in her eighties due to a life time of smoking. Humans cannot stop aging but we can slow it down if we treat ourselves with care. It is easy to find stereotypes in the elderly but it in no way means that is what being old will be like. Growing up in West Palm Beach I thought all old people were cheap, grumpy and bad drivers. This may be true for some of them, but my grandparents are not this way. People are more of a product of their surroundings then defined by an age. When I travel up north I see a whole new kind of people who are totally different. I do not think anyone should ever be judged by appearance or stereotype. My great uncle is better than me with technology and worked at GE for years. The theory that old people are sad probably stems from the idea of loneliness, and this is possible. It depends on whether the person has a living spouse or at least family close by or friends.
I just hope I can learn to embrace my golden years and not worry about losing some of my youthful vigor. I will always have God, and that is all anyone really needs.
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