ABSTRACT
When Wendell Berry refers to “the life we are given” in contrast to the life we have planned, Berry is pointing to this contrast between what we think of as our choice and the life we were fated to live. But we only begin to realize this later in life, and that insight may be a crucial part of the meaning of adult aging and old age. This chapter discusses that the aging mind as gerontology has often avoided questions about "the meaning of old age" in favor of formulations like "successful aging" or "life satisfaction". It also discusses so-called Silver Industries, which often depend on a positive image of old age as a time of retirement, fulfillment and happiness. The meaning of old age, in this version of the life-course, is a time of tranquillity and relief from burden: life on the golf course or playing shuffleboard, on one level, or traveling the world through Road Scholar, on another.
