Combating Ageism: We're All in This Together

Welcome to my bi-weekly blog about life, work, and adventure at 40 & 50+, and the lessons learned along the way. (Scroll down to read the blog.)?

If this is your first time reading this blog, welcome. As the former co-founder of a pro-age women’s community, recognized Influencer in Aging by Next Avenue magazine, and Facebook Community Accelerator alum, I launched this blog to share personal insights gathered from my journey through middlescence to encourage us to be a little more empathetic and curious about people of all ages. You never know what someone else is going through unless you care enough to ask. Start asking.

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Dear Middlescent,

I participated in a panel today that left me thinking about our present and future if we continue to let isms, like ageism, distort how we see and value others.

The Encore Network hosted the panel titled “Filling the Pipeline with Workers Over 50.” Janine Vanderburg moderated and my fellow panelists were Karen Brown -- MBA Finance , Helen Hirsh Spence , and Melanie Anderson .

Based on the title, the conversation was focused on ageism in the workplace. Given the panel’s collective passion on this topic, we dove in with emphatic enthusiasm. We debunked ageist myths, discussed the research-backed business case for hiring 50+ workers, offered tips to help employers build a mixed-age human capital strategy, and so much more. To boot, the attendees were in it to win it with us. Their comments and questions kept the conversation going.

I was feeling pumped up, and then the panel ended, and I slipped deep into thought.

“Why would someone not want to hire me because I’m 50? Why does being older, looking older or ‘acting’ older stand in the way of landing a job, getting promoted, creating a livelihood for myself?” ??

Immediately, I was flooded with an array of emotions spanning from disappointment, frustration, and sadness to anger, desperation, and empathy. As many of you know, I turned 50 this year, and I decided this month that I want to rejoin the workforce. I’m also female, and Latina, which puts me on triple-strike notice. So of course, these feelings landed a little closer to home.

“What if I can’t find a job? What if I’m ‘too experienced’ or not a ‘culture fit’ because I’m older? What if…”

My mind went haywire. I felt overwhelmed by the less than optimistic scenarios that flooded my mind in a matter of minutes. Ever felt like this?

But then, I clapped back. I countered this stream of thought with the wealth of experience, skills, talents, and accomplishments I bring to the table. While I know that based on statistics, odds are good I may experience ageism, or even gendered ageism during my job search, I can’t let that stop me, or you from going for it.

And, so I will move forward. As you should too.

Ageism is one of the few isms we all may experience in our lifetime, if we haven’t already. And if we don’t experience it ourselves, odds are good, you know or will know someone that has.

Getting older isn’t something that only happens to “them,” it’s something we’re all going to experience…if we’re lucky. I have yet to meet someone that says, “I only want to get to 29 and then I’m tapping out.” Ridiculous, right? Our universal human quest is to live a long, healthy, prosperous, and beautiful life. But then you get to “that age” and because of ageist social outlooks and internalized beliefs, we’re put in a corner.

“Nobody puts baby in a corner.” – thank you Johnny from Dirty Dancing!

Who says that because we’re 42, 50, 67, or 75 our plastic car in the game of Life has run out of gas? Why do “they” get to decide that for you or me?

That’s why it’s beyond imperative that we take an individual and collective stance to combat ageism, both external and internal. Buckle in, dig deep and become part of the solution versus the problem.

Here’s five things you can start today to join me and all the other amazing people, organizations, businesses, universities, and more rallying to end ageism, change the narrative, and imprint a new and improved outlook on aging.

1. Use your voice to speak up against ageism, from the water cooler to the big stage.
2. Talk down your own internalized ageism, and write a new mental script.
3. Expand your personal and professional network to include people of all ages.
4. Realize no one is young forever, so treat everyone with the respect you would like to receive at their age.
5. LIVE YOUR LIFE on your terms!

For businesses looking to level up their age-diversity efforts, check out my contributed article to Changing the Narrative, a leading anti-ageism initiative titled How Age-Inclusive Is Your Business? 10 Ways to Get a Pulse Check.

I don’t know about you, but this girl isn’t ready to cut her professional career, personal development, innate value, learning potential, or life opportunities simply because of my age. Are you? #bringit