Bon Jovi says it in It’s my Life – “I just want to live while I’m alive.” As we celebrate Senior Independence Month, that kind of sums it up for me. We all want to do the things we want, the way we want, and at the time we want. That includes planning trips, errands and just getting out and about in our communities. As we age, sometimes our ability to do things the way we are used to has to change to adapt to the changes we are experiencing.
The aging process is a continuum and the impacts that aging has on our ability to be safe on the road is also a continuum. Knowing the signs of what to look for so you make the proper adjustments is important. What we experience as we age may range from night blindness so you stop driving at night or slower reactions so you stop driving in heavy traffic, to vision loss, dementia, or other conditions that might require you to stop driving completely. Medical breakthroughs and technology are moving in a direction that might minimize these impacts, but it is incumbent upon all of us to be aware that we are on an aging continuum. Whether you experience these things at 60, 70, 80, 90 or anywhere along the continuum, if we live long enough, eventually we will face a time when driving might not be an option. (I know, I know, not driving seems incomprehensible and you’ll have to pry the keys out of my hand. But remember, it’s not just about your safety. It is also about the safety of those on the road around you.)
Okay, now that I’ve come across as Debbie Downer, let me say there are solutions and I, for one do not see giving up as one of them. I am planning for my future because it is my life, and I want to be in the driver’s seat. I know about the safety features in my car so that I can be safer when I am driving – have you checked those out yet? Do you use them? I have a plan in place for when I don’t want to drive as much – I know what alternative transportation options are available where I live and I have budgeted for using them when I need to. Have you done this yet? If you haven’t started mapping out your own future, now is the time.
It's my life, and I just want to live it – to the fullest. I plan to keep seeing my friends, keep going where I want to go and do what I want to do. I plan to age my way – don’t you? This includes knowing how to stay safe and maintain my independence no matter where I fall on that age continuum.
(Disclaimer: Please note while this video is fun, we do not condone the unsafe activities of the pedestrian in the video associated with this song. For more information on pedestrian safety, please visit: https://www.pedbikeinfo.org/)