`Are Seniors Vulnerable?

Seniors are vulnerable even though we may argue otherwise. This is not necessarily a negative assumption. Seniors are vulnerable because they are trusting, more willing to give the benefit of a doubt; they are tender-hearted (maybe tough on the outside but soft  inside and less apt to pick a fight. Of course, there are seniors who are feisty, cynical, selfish, pompous and arrogant with hearts of stone.

Bottom Line reached our household with a Special Retirement Report, ‘How the New Old Will Rule America.’  It continued, ‘If you’re over 50, the best years of your life just got better.’ If you purchase its publication, it states that you will start getting wealthier, healthier, smarter, sexier, safer, better looking and 300% stronger. Sounds promising, doesn’t it? It also sounds a little like the proverbial snake oil salesman who promised the moon if you succumbed to his pitch.

Before continuing, let me say that Bottom Line has done its homework, both in sleuthing and salesmanship. Many excellent bits of information can be found in its publications. The danger is elsewhere: in being vulnerable. If you believe that you can become better- looking, 300% stronger, and sexier simply by buying the book, think again. It will take some effort on your part, and for some of us, considerable effort, effort we may not be willing to expend. Notice the stress on the word effort. We are often vulnerable because we won’t exert the effort either because we don’t have it or don’t have enough. We quit when we have gained 10% rather than 300%. Of after we erase one wrinkle or after we made two or three poor investments (that sounded so foolproof).

Will seniors rule America in the future? Seniors will be a dominant force in our society, no doubt about it. But will it be a solidified force, united, informed, motivated, altruistic, persuasive? Who knows? The other day a letter arrived telling me ten reasons why I should join its organization rather than continuing with AARP.

Recently, I read about a number of large firms that are cutting back (or thinking about it) retirement benefits for their retirees (or future retirees), especially in health insurance. If the fear that social security will someday disappear or be severely reduced, can the army of seniors fight and win this battle? If seniors had retirement funds heavily invested in tech stocks, will they live long enough to see them recover?

Seniors are vulnerable in many ways. The number of grandparents raising their grandchildren because of impairments along the way is astounding. The number of adults, 18-40, living with their parents is also sobering. Do the math: a 39 year old single mom with her three kids living with her parents (even temporarily) means that her parents are no longer youngsters even though they may have hearts of gold.

We seniors are indeed a curious phenomenon yet not unlike the general public ranging from sinners to saints, wise to foolish, wealthy to destitute, powerful to fragile, energetic to indolent with one common trait: vulnerability. Most anything can (and will) happen, suddenly or gradually, unexpectedly or otherwise. How do we cope with this? Not by eliminating vulnerability but recognizing its existence and learning to live with it, for better or worse, so long as we shall live.