MILLENNIAL CELEBRITIES EXPLAIN AGING. WHO’S LISTENING?

The Dude Abides, Man.

via johnrieber.com

Boomers getting older. It’s a subject with a bright spotlight.

From kids born between 1946 – 1964, from youthful fifty years olds to an ancient sixty eight, no generation said it louder, “We’re young and pretty, and you’re not.”

Since their early go-to-hell days, baby boomers discovered they’re not any more immune to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes than anyone else..

The general response to aging is about what you’d expect. Like others, we do the minimum upkeep and count on medical science to step up in the clutch.

A growing awareness, call it chronic illness phobia, brought on by watching our parent’s end game strategy, suggests change.

You’d expect as much from kids dealing with their parents’ medical needs. How many times can you hear an oncologist avoid saying chemo-therapy because he doesn’t like the sound of the words?

A segment of boomers connect aging with a healthy lifestyle to slow down the process. You’ve heard it before, eat fresh food, drink clean water, get plenty of rest. That’s the ideal to work toward.

When you see bags of Halloween candy around the house in May, you’re not working toward the ideal.

With the concept of a health ideal now in the open, with that line drawn in the sand, there’s room for inspiration, for motivation.

Who would you listen to on aging? There’s twenty-something celebrities, salt of the earth retirees, or cube farm workers surviving on slurpees and power bars.

For the sake of name recognition, we’ll go with the 20-somethings.

Before peeling back the current crop of beautiful and talented’s ideas on aging, let’s take a look in the rearview mirror for some historical context.

Who can guess Marilyn Monroe’s thoughts on aging? A thirty six year old may not have all the dew on the lilly, but who can tell when you’re looking back from sixty?

James Dean on aging? Natalie Wood? Others who died young were too busy living to project themselves into old age, or even a little older than they were. Chances are good none of them thought they’d die the way they did, either.

From huffingtonpost.com:

Twenty four year old Emma Watson says, “I’m excited about the aging process.”

Did Kirstie Alley say that in her twenties?

Blake Lively, 26, says, “I’m really excited.”

As excited as Kathleen Turner was at the same age?

Olivia Wilde turns thirty and says, “I’m hitting a major milestone.”

She ought to call Daryl Hannah about milestones.

From the rest of the ladies quoted, aging is an adventure, an exciting journey to look forward to. Is that how it looked when Kim Novak hit the stage at the last Oscars? Just get there at 81 and you’re lucky.

How will they guys do?

Look, there’s Kirk Douglas. It’s New Years Rockin’ Eve with Dick Clark.

We love Paul Newman here at BoomerPdx, but he had it rough at the end. So did Dean Martin.

You might be one of the original Brat Pack, but the years won’t rest lighter on you than anyone else.

At the end of the day, who is your choice for best aging boomer?

Our vote goes to Jeff Bridges in the senior division, George Clooney in the youth category.

Who’s the top Lady Boomer?