Let Me See

I am a member of the silent generation. I think we World War II babies just got lumped into the Silent Generation, because we weren’t so silent. We were in college in the sixties along with the first batch of the Boomers, and we did our share of protesting and demonstrating. As we grew older, the challenges we were addressing didn’t get much response until those challenges started hitting the Boomers. Birth control. Menopause. The glass ceiling. Equal pay for equal work.(Yes, I’m sure the guys had issues, but gender issues were petty hot in those days.I can only speak for my own gender on health issues!),
For the past ten years, as my ability to read the fine print or thread a needle or see well enough to drive at night has diminished, there was no response from the larger society adapting to our needs. But now that the Boomers are having the same challenges (both genders, except maybe the needle part), perhaps we will see some awareness that changes are overdue.
Here is my list of grievances around which I wish to peaceably assemble (during daytime hours) and seek redress as I am promised by the First Amendment. Well, it promises I can complain. It doesn’t say anything about fixing things.

1. Low contrast signs, pictures, etc. My congregation has a lovely tasteful sign outside. It is painted beige with white lettering. Most people can’t read it, not just old people, but sharper contrast does keep us reading longer. Hey guys, if you are looking for patrons or customers or employees, consider the legibility of your signage.
2. Shrinking print size on everything from cooking instructions of foods to operating manuals to instructions of taking medicines, both prescription and over the counter. In case you haven’t noticed, those people with deteriorating eyesight are among your biggest customers.
3. Night driving, night meetings, SUV headlights string at us directly in our smaller, low to the ground vehicles. I know that big hulking SUVs are already not designed with consideration for those who share the remaining space of the road, but car designers and insurance companies might have an interest in headline design that cause episodes of blindness in oncoming drivers. And voluntary organizations might want to consider offering more daytime gatherings, events, etc. for that age group who are often the bulk of their market. Matinees. 5 pm meeting instead of 7ish. It’s not just the night driving, it’s also a tendency among my fellow octogenarians and their trailing septuagenarian Boomers to feel their energy droop at the end of the workday or former workday. I have seen some signs of awareness of time-of-day issues in scheduling events, but it’s only a trickle so far.
   Is this a government issue? Maybe the car safety and the print size on drugs. But shouldn’t the market be responding to consumers? Is there any competition left? Instead of big meals or big Macs or big bargains how about offering customers or members big signs (with contrast) and big print?
   Oh, for the golden days of my youth when I did battle to allow girls to wear Bermuda shorts on campus and protested the war in Vietnam. I know I should be saving the earth and making it safe for democracy, and I do my best, but I could do better if I could drive safely at night and read the fine print.