Geezer vs. Senior

Some of you appear to be offended by the term Geezer. Personally, I am offended by the word Senior. Seniors are doddery, sick, mentally unbalanced, demented, pharmaceutically dependent and poor. Geezers are poor, active, looking for discounts, experienced and alert, healthy and loaded for bear. Some may have a preference for recreational drugs.

Think of the benefits of geezerdom: you are older and better; you’ve been there, done that; you’ve been good to yourself all your life, so you don’t have many geezer health problems; and you know how to party. Seniors are anxious; they need lessons in how to relax and pills to make them sleep. Geezers can overdo it. Seniors are too frightened to do it.

Geezer or senior, ageism is the biggest bias we face – and practise. So you’ve reached the age of 90? That is something to boast about, while decrying the habits and behaviour of all those younger than you.  But 60? Something to mourn. You hate it when people offer you a seat on the bus or ask if you want a senior’s discount.

Then there’s 65. In Canada that means Geezers are suddenly eligible for an old age pension. I know a starving artist geezer who never had a steady income until he hit the golden age. Everything is discounted; some things are free. You can ride forever on the B.C. Ferries – for free, as long as it’s a designated seniors’ –  make that geezers’ – day.