Redefining 60: What to Call Yourself After Midlife

I’ve been asked this a million times and I always say, Midlife is around 40 and we just stay there till we die. But now everyone wants a better answer. Fine. Let’s figure this out and let the others know.

The interwebs say that midlife is between 40 and 60 years of age. After 60, we’re considered late-middle-aged, then late-adulthood. That sounds boring and old. So how can we redefine the later years and not sound like a rerun of The Golden Girls?

We’re not our mothers/grandmothers, sitting in rocking chairs and knitting till we die. We’re still moving and groovin’, and outliving all those husbands out there. Some of us may be on our third or fourth spouse by now, and hopefully the police don’t think we’re killing them off. We’re just “full of more life” than we would have been a decade ago.

In other words, we’re the Golden Girls, but with more attitude and fewer Depends. We’re the Sex and the City ladies, but with more wrinkles and even more cocktails. We’re the Bridget Joneses of the world, but with more wine and fewer tears.

We’re the women who are redefining what it means to be old. We’re the women who are proving that age is just a number. We’re the women who are living our lives to the fullest, no matter how many candles are on our cake.

So next time you hear someone say that you’re “over the hill,” just smile and say, “I’m just getting started.”

(And if you happen to be on your third or fourth spouse, just keep that part to yourself.)

I absolutely loathe names like Elderly, Old People, Senior Citizens and so on. We need a new identity and name. I mean I am not there yet, but I want to be prepared to leave “midlife” and enter_______________. And still sound youngish.

So, I put the task to AI, and this is what it came up with:

Here are some cool and hip names instead of elderly or senior citizens:

• Vintage: This term is a play on the word “millennial,” and it’s a great way to show that older people are still stylish and relevant.
• Goldenagers: This term is a bit more literal, but it’s also a positive way to refer to older people. It suggests that they are in their prime, just like gold.
• Perennials: This term is also a play on words, and it’s a great way to show that older people are still growing and evolving.
• Wiseacres: This term is a bit more tongue-in-cheek, but it’s a great way to acknowledge the wisdom and experience of older people.
• Geriatric Rock Stars: This term is a bit more playful, but it’s a great way to show that older people can still be cool and hip.

Those aren’t too bad! I’m liking the Perennials term a lot! Even if it does sound like a plant.

So, what are we going to call ourselves when we hit 60? Well, whatever it is, we will still be having fun and still drinking margaritas!