Time on Our Side: Growing in Wisdom, Not Growing Old - Hardcover

Everyone fears ageing. Now that life expectancy in the developed world is securely more than three score and ten, fear of imminent death has receded and been replaced by a dread of getting old. While the definition of "old" depends on the age a person has reached - during their 20s people worry about turning 30; during their 30s people worry about turning 40; in their 50s people fear turning 60 and becoming an old-age pensioner. People all share a horror of becoming one of those forgetful, incapacitated, ludicrous figures which parents, aunts and uncles, once so young and vigorous, may have become. What is more, people often let their fear of ageing spoil their present life. Dorothy Rowe has spoken to people aged from five to 95 about how they view ageing, time and death. She has listened to people from societies where the old are revered and respected, as well as people from societies like those in the West - where they are not. She questions the contemptuous attitude to older people - which can often, for example, render invisible intelligent women over 60 - and explores the notion that this very contemptuousness creates the fear of ageing. Rowe looks at ways in which people can change this by altering the view of ageing and the passage of time. Finally, she offers a distillation of wisdom which provides support and hope, and points the reader towards a positive welcoming of the future.

Everyone fears growing older. While our definition of 'old' is dependent on the age we have reached, no one wants to lose the advantages of being young, or to be thought of by others as being past our best, unimportant, even invisible. What is more, we often let our fear of getting older spoil our present life.

Dorothy Rowe has listened to people aged from five to ninety-five talk about how they view time passing and growing older. She finds that our fear of growing older far outweighs the real difficulties, most of which could be ameliorated were we wise. In this warm, hopeful and much-needed book, Dorothy Rowe shows us that we can change, and points us towards a new and positive welcoming of the future.

"Her appeal rests on a clarity of vision, a deep-seated rationalism and an eye, like Jane Austen's, for satire. Her work ... forces you to think for yourself, challenge received ideas and take responsibility for your own life."
GUARDIAN