Over the holiday I saw Skyfall, the new James Bond movie and found that beyond the pleasure I derived from the rooftop chase scenes, the movie made me think about aging. Bond and his handler M are accused of being washed up old spies when the CIA is cyber-infiltrated and several colleagues are uncovered. So while the movie’s story line was contemporary Bond with a big dollop of good versus evil, the underlying theme of how one is valued as they age ran throughout the film.
We midlifers are frequently reminded that the world is changing and that a New Normal is setting up. Not only will the world look different as large portions of the American population become both browner and older. But we will make friends and get our information about each other often from each other. Twitter is a great example. You can hear and feel change coming in the way people write and talk about what’s new in the world and in what no longer shocks them. And you can see that adjustments will be need to be made by the blank stares young people give when they are asked to work with anyone over 35.
I have Google alerts for the word “midlife.” Everyday (I promise I am not kidding) there are stories on the web either about a woman (or an ape ) suffering from a midlife crisis; or these alerts lead me to stories written by midlifers about their past. No wonder no one young wants to be around us. There is always a lot of looking backward, reminiscing about the the good old days in these midlife stories. But is it possible that better days are ahead of us?
This clash between the generations and the perception that the majority of midlifers are stuck in the past is real. I feel the disruption every time I go to large public social media events. But I choose vitality, relevance, interaction, joy, service, love, and hope. I am not sitting on the porch waiting for something to happen, just watching people walk by.
Youth culture is driving innovation. But cultural pundits would have us believe that but for the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world, there would be no progress. Didn’t Zuckerberg build and implement an idea that came before him. Let’s agree that innovation is driving change. So what place does that leave for those of us who are aging?
When the Bond movie ends, the viewer must still answer the question of whether the old can survive in the face of innovation and the new? I won’t ruin the movie for you. But I really think that since the young are building on what has come before them, why throw away what works. We have to find a way to infuse innovation with the best of what is old. Something tells me this is my evolving definition of the NEW Normal.
Do you believe your best years are behind you?
Helene Bludman says
The movie definitely resonated with our age group. I am inspired by the younger generation’s technical know-how, but staying sharp requires more concentration now.