Aging of America Opinion Editorial
'Older Astronaut' Begins a New Age for Old Age
published October 29, 1998, San Francisco Chronicle, page A27
John Glenn's bold trip back into space at age 77 is a blow to the notion that only young people have the "right stuff." His presence among a much younger shuttle crew is proof that growing older need not reduce a person's relevance and capabilities.
Glenn was already 40 when he flew his first, historic orbits in 1962. The Baby Boomers, who were then teenagers or younger, probably thought of him as an older man. Now, 36 years later, Glenn is going back into space, and no one would call him "elderly."
Our perceptions have shifted because these days we continually witness the accomplishments of athletes, artists, writers and professionals who are in the sixth, seventh and eighth decades of life. It's a definite trend: People are working later in life and thinking about themselves in and about growing older in vastly different ways.
Take Glenn, for example. About to retire from the U.S. Senate after 24 years, Glenn is a vital person who doesn't let his age by the calendar limit his abilities. Not long ago, for example, as a younger man of 75, he set the world speed record for a twin-engine plane when he flew from Dayton, Ohio to Washington, D.C. in a hour and 36 minutes.
His space shuttle mission provides one more individual and highly publicized piece of evidence that successfully growing older is not about age--it's about one's physical, cognitive and emotional health. John Glenn is not only a precursor of the 21st century older American, he defines dynamic aging today.
Our research has found that while young people tended to measure "old" in terms of calendar years, older people were more likely to say that it depended on attitudes, health and activity level.
Long-standing definitions of aging have become fluid. John Glenn's flight into space helps focus attention on societal changes that are happening right now.
As they grow older, the Boomers will certainly reshape our perception of what is possible in later life. An American Association of Retired Persons survey indicates that almost 80 percent of Boomers plan to keep working after retirement.
No matter how young or old we might be, we need heroes to express our hopes and dreams for ourselves and our time. Rare is the living person who rises to the stature of a hero. Rarer still in John Glenn's achievement of fulfilling our need for heroism twice in a lifetime, and across generations.
But when you think about it, countless other Americans bring a vital new sense of adventure to their every day. With John Glenn's remarkable journey, it's time to discard our outdated notions of what's possible at age 77.
written by Woody Goulart for Constance Swank, research director for the American Association of Retired Persons in Washington, D.C.