While re-watching the film, No Country for Old Men, in which the old sheriff thinks that all his rules of life have disappeared and he no longer has the energy or inclination to put up with the wild and horrific times, the idea came to me that something similar occurs for old people generally these days.

The old people of today are led down the path of decrepitude with poor care provisions, with less recognition by society, with the feeling of being invisible, and the general feeling of being abandoned and isolated in this age of high tech.

The old feel lost and confused in today’s fast pace of life, which is geared to the young. Society seems to devote less and less time to the care of the old. All this leads up to feeling rejected by society.

So, the Older Generation becomes The Lost Generation!

Many elderly feel extreme loneliness as a result of feeling alien to the outside world. It’s like your SELF has no value and is less appreciated. Many of the old feel unable to adapt to new circumstances especially when they are vulnerable to illness and disease. They feel lost by the way aging is treated, it has come to mean loss of value and importance.

The last act of life takes everything we can muster to keep moving forward. We hope our will is strong so the circumstances of old age cannot destroy us.

The old have to say, “YES” to life even though we are scared of the unknown.

We are STILL here and we can still do some things that are noteworthy.

So, how do we fight being invisible?

You can circumvent invisibility by an outgoing personality. I’m not talking about being pushy, but you can make yourself heard. I do this by my writing, which is my hobby in retirement. I keep abreast of the news and offer my opinions.

Carry on with moving one foot in front of the other, mentally and physically, and you won’t feel this is NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE!

Also published on Medium.