Impression #5. Older people
·1 min
Okay, now what I seriously love about Belgium (more and more each year) – is that older people have so much more, well, life.
This was a true eye-opener. I’ve always known that older people are not exactly living the best life in Ukraine, but I always attributed this to money. But it’s not that. It’s really about being accepted as an equal member of society.
| Situation, “an older person…” | Ukraine | Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| Walking along the street | Norm | Norm |
| Shopping | Norm | Norm |
| Doing sports | Rare | Norm |
| Riding a bicycle | Rare | Norm |
| Riding a sports bicycle | Doesn’t happen | Norm |
| Driving a convertible car | Doesn’t happen | Norm |
| Driving a motorbike | Are you nuts? | Norm |
| Wearing quality clothes & shoes | Rare | Norm |
| Drinking beer | Norm | Norm |
| Drinking beer in a bar in a company of lots of younger people who are apparently their friends | Doesn’t happen | Norm |
I hope every year we will see more inclusion in Ukraine
- Much less ageism at the workplace
- Pension still sucks, but not “you get next to nothing to eat” sucks
- As an older person, selling your house and buying a small apartment at the seaside to relax and enjoy life is a thing