Let's bring back senility, as a good word!
Approaching the end of my 78th year, I prefer to think of myself as suffering/enjoying early, mild senility. I am suffering, involuntarily/slowly/inevitably: loss of speed, stamina, balance, strength, concentration, memory, executive functioning. I am enjoying: serenity, slowness, memory, gratitude, contemplation, (theological virtue of) hope, consideration of the legacy I received and now hand on. The powers that be would deny me use of that perfectly good word "senility." Google Search says that the word is "outdated." This is given in a dictatorial, infallible, strident, intolerant tone. "Outdated" in the progressive, WOKE, technical, algorithmic universe of ChatGBT means: useless, disposable, contemptible. Deplorable! Not to be used!
The word simply denotes: old, aged, experienced.
In a world of wisdom, tradition, transcendence, and authority senility connotes: wise, valuable, connected with the past, serene, generous, free.
In a world of techno-dominance, materialism, disbelief, meritocracy, youth-worship, obsession with novelty and change, the word connotes: disabled, incompetent, disposable, contemptible.
The word has no meaning in modern medicine as a diagnostic category. Fair enough! The word never presumed itself as scientific and technical. It is common sense: things in the natural world age, reach a peak of thriving, decline, eventually die and decompose. This is the nature of things! Everything in the natural universe enters senility, age, decline, irreversible movement to death.
I...traditional, anti-woke, anti-progressive...will not be told by some AI algorithm that the word senile is outdated. I will boldly use it! Yes, I am myself in early stage of senility...gratefully, hopefully, peacefully.
Joe Biden is the glaring example of an aging generation, clinging to power, status and self-importance; desperate in denial of decline, senescence and death; and systemically denying youth their place in the world. It is not just that his advisors, Jill/Hunter, the DNC and liberal press conspired to hide his blatant senility. Half of society, the blue half, was in a viral contagion of denial. He clung to power with the complicity of the entire liberal establishment: enabling and so emasculating Hunter, denying his granddaughter, impulsively and catastrophically disengaging from Afghanistan, and enfeebling our entire nation with the weakness of a King Theoden (of Lord of the Rings, before his exorcism by Gandalf the White.)
Trump, due to his personality (extroverted, narcissistic, combative, hyper-energetic and confident) manifests a different, hypo-manic style of senility: impulsive, incoherent, volatile, grandiose, attention-seeking, disruptive, and wildly unstable.
This geriatro-phobia pervades society well beyond the White House! Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer! In academia, tenured professors cling to status, tenure and income so that younger scholars are denied positions. The Boomer generation was indulged and spoiled in the prosperity of the post-war era and largely continues in a narcissistic posture. Biden and Trump, contrasts in style, outdo each other in narcissistic self-indulgence. For example, the entitlement programs of Medicare and social security are not viable for the future; but they are politically untouchable; and are saddling our offspring with interminable debt. We are simply eating our children and their children.
So, what is senility in a correct understanding?
A slowing-down, a restfulness, a serenity.
Memory, contemplation, reception, enjoyment.
Gratitude.
Hope: supernaturally, for heaven, which is not far off, but without presumption.
Hope: naturally, for our children and theirs and the world we leave behind.
Growing small; that the young may grow big.
Decluttering of mind and heart; loss of data and detail; deeper immersion into the boundless informing of all things by the Good, True and Beautiful.
May we all, with God's help, in serene senility, grow in age, grace and wisdom; peace and patience; faith, hope and love.
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