It’s Time to Play Whack-a-Mole!!!

“Do you use email?”

Thus ended my conversation with a Medicare “customer service” agent when he asked that question during a phone call last week.

I wish I’d have had the presence of mind to reply, “What’s email?”

Instead, I simply said, “Of course, I do!” followed by my telling him the call was not helpful, thanking him for his time, and saying goodbye—as quickly as possible.

In recounting this story to friends a few days later, they were equally appalled—but admitted it was difficult to get too riled up about it given the other, more disturbing events taking place right now.

I get it.

These days it seems like the news is coming at us so fast that—as one journalist put it—it feels like we’re in the middle of a game of Whack-a-Mole!

With millions of Americans concerned about the state—and potential fate—of our democracy, many who’ve been working diligently to #endageism—in the workplace, in healthcare, and throughout society at-large—have begun to wonder if they should turn their attention to other, more pressing matters.

Their worries are sapping their energy—and understandably so.

That said, as I thought more and more about it, I became increasingly convinced that those of us in the fight against prejudice and discrimination simply don’t have the luxury to put our fight on the back burner right now.

Are our friends in the African-American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian/Pacific Islander communities sidelining their fight against racism?

Are women around the world tabling their fight against sexism and misogyny?

Are our Jewish friends and neighbors putting their fight against antisemitism and Jew-hatred on hold?

Is the LGBTQ+ community pressing pause on their fight against homophobia and transphobia?

Are members of other minorities—Muslims, people with disabilities, and others who are often treated as “less than”—giving up their fight because it’s just too much right now.

The answer is a hard NO.

And neither should we.

In fact, we older adults were built for this moment. Fighting for freedom, democracy, civil rights, human rights, EQUAL RIGHTS is in our DNA.

We were the energy behind some of the greatest social change to take place in the past 65 years.

We’re tenacious. Hard-working. Creative. Committed. Experienced. Formidable. And fearless.

And we can’t give up now.

Our cause was worthy before the concept of DEI entered the picture. And it’s just as worthy in this theoretical “post-DEI” world.

Adults 60 and over deserve to be taken seriously. We deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. We deserve to be seen—and heard.

Ours is a fight worth fighting. Even in the middle of everything else. ESPECIALLY in the middle of everything else.

We can’t afford to give up. And we can’t afford to give in.

There’s too much at stake.

So grab your mallets. And let’s start whacking. Those moles have our names all over them.