Happy Friday! Today’s dictionary.com word of the day is another one that I had never heard of…Senectitude. It is decidedly old world as revealed in its etymology summary:

Senectitude comes from the Medieval Latin noun senectitūdō meaning “old age,” which in turn comes from Classical Latin senectūs, a derivative of the noun senex meaning “old man.” Senectitude entered English in the late 1700’s, more precisely, in 1796 in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels.

A search on the internet for more information does not return much in the way of its modern use, but, here’s a fun fact…if you spend too much time in Google looking for the word “senectitude” you will begin to see an assortment of senior-focused advertisements: insurance, nursing homes, Alzheimer’s medications, erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence remedies and “adult” vacation destinations. Who knew approaching senectitude could be so perilous and so fun!

But it is rather creepy isn’t it? The truth is that there is nothing secret or private anymore, especially if you have an online footprint. Your computer’s Network ID precedes you. If you tell your deepest secrets to Siri, Cortana, Alexa or any one of a growing number of intelligent bots, you may be lulled by their friendly, soothing voices, but do not be deceived. They will betray you in a heartbeat somewhere in the matix.

So I suppose I am branded now. Greedy businesses will begin clamoring for my attention and my dollar, with promises of an array of products offering to make me feel young again, or at least make my impending senectitude comfortable.  Hopefully, this latest trend on my computer’s feed will phase out quickly and on to the next product du jour. I’m a baby-boomer. I know I’m headed toward senectitude. I just don’t need to be reminded.

Here’s a bit of haiku to lighten the mood. 😉

It’s an advantage
to bare one’s senectitude
for senior discounts!

Sixty as forty
delays one’s senectitude
and retirement.

kat ~ 30 December 2016