This isn’t about hair color. It’s about ATTITUDE.
Join the Openly Gray Movement
At this stage of life, stop letting others define us.
Time passed. We grew older. Got gray hair. Or lost it all. Doesn’t matter.
What matters is that we aren’t done yet.
We are launching the Openly Gray Movement. We’re transforming how people think, feel, and act about being older.
We’re starting by encouraging older adults themselves to embrace, enjoy, and celebrate growing older and this stage of life.
That’s because practically everything in our culture is youth-focused and presents getting older as a negative. That’s wrong. Growing older isn’t a burden, it’s a blessing.
Our age and the color or amount of hair on our head doesn’t define us. Our mindsets and attitudes do.
The Openly Gray mindset is:
We’re happy in our own skin, wrinkled as it may be.
Just like you, we are dreaming and doing.
We’ve got wisdom, ingenuity, and experience to share.
Everyone with this attitude is welcome.
What’s this all about?
Openly Gray is a new nonprofit dedicated to addressing age discrimination by celebrating older adults and encouraging them to ENJOY AND EMBRACE GROWING OLDER.
How? To start, by encouraging the use of #openlygray and #beopenlygray across all social media platforms.
Look, older adults are one of the biggest culprits in perpetuating ageism. Our own negative attitudes about growing older fuel perceptions younger people have of us.
CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE. CHANGE THE CULTURE.
The Openly Gray Movement has two initial goals:
First, we want to get older adults to shift our own thinking about this stage of life.
That means at the next birthday party for an older friend, no jokes about it being “all downhill from here.” No more wise cracks about someone who has mobility limitations who is “not keeping up.”
It also means stop with the self-deprecating comments about your age, ability, or way of thinking. Ending ageism and ableism starts with us. We should accept our age, recognize our limitations (everyone has some), and get on with it.
Second, we have to stop acting ashamed of our age and life stage. Remember as a kid when you’d brag that you’re 12 to a group of 8-year-olds? Why stop the bragging once you pass midlife?
Instead, let’s proclaim that we’re proud about being older. Make our new default all the positive things that come with age (more years, wisdom, experience, patience, and perspective). Stop focusing on physical attributes of growing older and celebrate the emotional benefits of additional years.
When we take ownership of our age and life stage, when we declare it — heck, even when we hashtag it — younger people will change their perceptions of what it means to grow older. Let’s Be Openly Gray.
Growing older isn’t a problem. It’s a blessing.
#openlygray #beopenlygray
Join Up
This organization is going to be shaped by our members. That means you.