Are You An Old Fart?
What is your age group called? What do you call yourself?
I’m writing today to ask for your help.
Are you over 55?
What label do you or others put on yourself or others about your age?
Here are a few for your consideration:
- Senior
- Retiree
- Old Timer
- Seasoned
- Old Fart
- Boomer
- Elder
- Pensioner
- Oldster
- Golden-ager
There are likely many others.
If you’re like I am, I don’t really think of myself as belonging to any of those categories, although age-wise I fit them all. And, more importantly, I don’t label myself with any of them.
They all carry a certain negative connotation too, don’t they?
When I hear the word senior, I think of the worst senior living facilities I’ve visited, where people are warehoused and waiting to die. Old Fart and Old Timer, while sometimes used affectionately, bring to mind a negative and crotchety person with bad manners. Retiree says, to me, that the person is one step away, if they have the energy to take that step, from being a senior.
I could go on, but I think you get my point.
Please don’t get me wrong; I don’t like labels and I’m not trying to say you need one, okay Old Timer?
But, I do need your help
I’m involved with a start-up publishing company that is producing books, webinars, and other services for the group I’m talking about here.
How do I call you?
Imagine a book (not one we’re actually publishing) about learning vacations, a type of trip or holiday geared around a course or group of courses. (Indiana University has a great program called Mini-U, by the way. It’s a week every June of one-hour courses on topics A to Z. It’s really good stuff; we’ve been a few times.)
And I need to narrow the focus on the book’s title to attract my target audience.
Is the book called:
Learning Vacations for Old-Farts?
Learning Vacations for Seniors?
Learning Vacations for Retirees
I think you seem my problem. Each brings on a certain meaning, and I want to avoid them all. (See above.)
Right now we’re thinking of going with Older Adults.
So, in this example, the book would be called Learning Vacations for Older Adults.
Whaddaya say? Can you help me? Is Older Adult a term that appeals to you? Does it identify you? Do you like something better?
Anxious to hear what you think.
Your friend,
Michael “Old Fart” Werner
