#WithIt: Introducing a New Movement

By Roberto Muñiz



You may have heard me speak of #WithIt… but what does that really mean? Parker introduced the phrase and hashtag just over a year ago. We’ve shared #WithIt stories of inspiring personalities that bring the phrase to life. Now, you’re about to hear a lot more!



We are taking this movement to the national stage. Why? Because our culture no longer appreciates or accepts the aging process or those who are aging. Our society actually fears aging. Parker’s Second Annual Aging in America Survey shows that Millennials and Gen Xers are nearly twice as likely as members of the Baby Boomer and Silent generations to consider people “old” by the time they hit their 70s.



#WithIt looks at aging as beautiful. It’s a positive way to think about getting older, encouraging all of us to drop our biases and open ourselves up to shared experiences and society. It’s the best form of defense against ageism.



#WithIt is bigger than our organization or one person, yet it starts with each one of us. #WithIt is a campaign inspired by Parker that is breaking the mold, making participation in society between young and old a matter of relevance and awareness. It showcases individuals of all ages and abilities, invested in and engaged in their lives: Whether at work or with family and friends. It moves aging from the sidelines to the center of what today’s culture prizes most: being in the mix.



#WithIt invites each one of us to search within ourselves, asking questions such as: “Why am I #WithIt?” or “Why do I think a particular person is #WithIt?”



You might be #WithIt because you know you only get better with time, believe someone can still run for office at the age of 80 or practice yoga well into their 90s. This movement demonstrates how older people at any age remain in touch with what matters to them and encourages us to value their ongoing presence and contributions in their many forms.



#WithIt will soon have its own website and it will be talked about at the National LeadingAge Conference in October. You don’t have to work in Aging Services to join this movement. We all have loved ones who are aging and WE are all aging.



This movement impacts each one of us, and because of this, let’s celebrate what inspires us to Make Aging Part of Life.



I will soon have more to share with you on how you can get involved and Join the #WithIt movement.