Mary Pipher

Americans fear the processes of aging and dying, Mary Pipher contends in the following viewpoint. She claims that younger and healthier adults often avoid spending time around the aging because they want to avoid the issues of mortality and loss of independence. In addition, she contends that negative views of the aging process are portrayed in the media and expressed through the use of pejorative words to describe the elderly. Pipher is a psychologist and author of several books, including Another Country: Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Our Elders, the book from which this viewpoint was excerpted.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Pipher, what are the two types of birthday cards that relate to aging?
2. Why does the author think retirement is an ugly word?
3. What is America’s...