The other day I visited a friend of mine who is in an assisted living facility. He's a bright, highly accomplished person whose body has deteriorated but his mind is very sharp. While driving home, it occurred to me that most of the new words added to our language are created by younger people who are active and have more influence than those of us who are older. I think those of us who are older should mount a campaign to introduce words that express feelings, sentiments and experiences that are unique to our age group. The first word I would like to introduce is, "Childrenize." The act of treating an adult as though he or she is a child by speaking loudly in a high voice in one and two syllable words.
A few other experiences unique to old age that I wish we had words for are:
1. That moment when you realize your teen age grandchild no longer adores you the way he or she did when they were younger; how about "disadoration"?
2 The frustration you experience when you can't recall someone's name you've known for years; maybe, "Namesis"
3. The feeling of irritation you feel the first time you realize you are being treated as a stereotype. Would "Stereotation" work?
4. Suddenly realizing you look like an old person after meeting someone who is your same age. I would suggest "Miroritis"
That's it for now.
Garry
I'd like a word for the sudden realization that nobody within earshot knows anything about the "universally familiar" thing you've just referred to. ("Who's Yoko?")
Pops Culture?
I need a word to describe the embarrassment I feel when I write "with" instead of "wish" as in, "Senior moments I with we had words for."
Garry, I fixed the title. 🙂