The shortsightedness of ageism

George Hook

SOCIAL media can be a great tool if one is prepared to stomach the consequences of instant and random interaction. Nowadays, with the advent of smartphones and readily available internet, everyone is accountable to anyone. So, some guy with a phone and a gripe can send on whatever abuse he feels like dishing out on a Monday morning, just because he can.
I am long enough in the tooth to be able to laugh off the detractors and abusers, but others of a more sensitive disposition might not be so easily dismissive. It is these more vulnerable souls that need protection from the idiots. A difficult thing to do in practice, however.
My career on the RTÉ rugby panel ended last season. I won’t pretend that I don’t miss it because it was such a big part of my life for so long. Naturally, I get a little pang when the Six Nations bandwagon rolls into town and the excitement builds at the prospect of another championship.
It is perfectly natural that I might occasionally yearn for something that formed such a huge part of my public persona over the years. February and March were always extremely busy times for me, but these days I have to settle for the comfort of my couch on a Saturday afternoon. Sure, I still miss it, but overall, I am happy with my decision to retire from the panel and life goes on.
These days, I am lucky to have an alternative outlet for my rugby views, through my radio show ‘The Right Hook’ on Newstalk and in my writing for a national newspaper. And, while I continue to enjoy my media work, it appears there is a down side to being an analyst and over a certain age.
I firmly believe that my 74 years allow me the benefit of experience in my judgement but there are some people that view my critiques as the inane ramblings of an irrelevant old man. In fact, the main basis for dismissing my views, these days, appears to stem predominantly from my advancing years, as if a person over a certain age has no right to express an opinion.
I find this very sad, but perhaps more worryingly, it is a reflection of how society seems to view the older generation.
If a young boy or girl expressed an opinion about a game of rugby on a national platform, they might be dismissed out-of-hand as being innocent, naive and of insufficient life experience to be deemed valid in the overall scheme of things.
It is interesting, however, that an older mind, with the benefit of a life well-lived, can be discounted in a similar fashion. Is it right to compare the two? Is there no place for wisdom in an assessment of sport? And why does society sometimes dismiss a person’s view because they are considered past their sell-by date? What does that tell us about the society we now live in?

Ageism
I am hit with examples of this every single day when it comes to my opinion on rugby.
If a person disagrees with my view, they generally tend to dismiss me as a failed, old coach that has no relevance to the modern game.
Never mind that I have spent every year since I first got my hands on a rugby ball as a young child watching the game. No, because I am in my seventies, I am out of touch with the realities of the modern game. Is that fair?
I have no problem with someone taking issue with my opinions. Certainly, I never hold back when I believe something needs to be said, so I fully expect to have my opinions questioned and disagreed with. But dismissing my view purely because I am of a certain age is wrong.
Nobody has the ability to see into a crystal ball and I don’t expect twenty and thirty-something’s to spend their days giving heavy consideration to what life will be like in their advancing years. But just like death and taxes are life certainties, it is safe to assume that the majority of people will eventually find themselves in old age. And should that happen, how would they like having their viewpoints dismissed based purely on the miles on the clock?
Again, I write this not as some sort of public plea for sympathy. I am not, nor ever have been, of a sensitive disposition and I enjoy being challenged on my views. Conflict and debate goes with the territory in my line of work.

Insult
And I will happily sit down and argue the merits of my arguments with anyone and everyone until the cows come home. Should I be proved wrong, I am quite capable of accepting defeat.
But don’t base an argument against my opinion on my age. Because such a stance is  an insult to the many thousands of elderly men and women in Ireland that helped to make this country the wonderful place that it is today.
Different voices encourage a more rounded debate. Life would be extremely boring and short-sighted if the only people that mattered were those directly involved in the subject matter at hand. Just as the innocence of youth can often expose the banality of grown-up conversation, so too can the wise old heads add value through their wisdom and consideration. Something to think about.