Fear of Aging

Fear of aging speeds the very decline we dread most. And it ultimately robs our life of any meaning. No wonder there's an attitude shift in the making.

Technically, we are still baby boomers. But on the cusp of 50, much to our surprise, having come late into maturity, we suddenly envision ourselves becoming obsolete, just as our fathers, mothers, grandparents, uncles, and aunts did when they crossed the age 65 barrier, the moment society now defines as the border line between maturity and old age.

Although we may be unprepared psychologically, we are certainly fortitled demographically to notice the problems our elders now face -- isolation, loneliness, lack of respect, and above all, virtual disenfranchisement from the society they built.

Autumn

Like falling leaves
dry and brittle...aimless
Facing the onslaught
of harsh winds...
I stand on the threshold
of the autumn of my life...

Thrown directionless

by the storms that threaten

My existence

Scared, scarred,
Helpless...
Parched....
Seeking solace.