Of Sports Illustrated.

And she’s 81.

And she’s in a bathing suit.

Some are shocked. Others are thrilled.

After all, she’s “too old,” right? (Not that you’d hear that if it were a former James Bond.)

But a woman? An older woman?

Getting past all the gossip, it’s interesting to stop and consider just what people 80 and over are doing these days. The ones who aren’t making the evening news. The ones who are still working.

Taking care of grandbabies. Volunteering. Cooking meals for their adult children. Dressing, bathing, and caring full-time for a spouse with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

In other words, rockin’ it because that’s what they must do. And what in many cases, they choose to do.

Because inside, they’re still 30. Maybe 35. They look out of their eyes and still see possibilities. They still listen to their favorite music, whether it’s rock, opera, or Native American.  Maybe they’ve turned own the volume a bit, but then again, maybe they haven’t.

Let the neighbors complain. They probably don’t think an 80-year-old turns anything up that loud.

Because unfortunately, 80+ people are often invisible. Unnoticed. Ignored. Assumptions are made about them that are far from accurate. That they can’t run in marathons anymore. That they can’t learn new hobbies or skills. That they don’t understand how to use a computer or program their home security.

That they didn’t get the joke or understand the reference. How wrong these assumptions are.

At a time when more and more younger people are refusing to work, older people are out there doing it. Almost 9 percent of Americans over 75 are working—and it’s expected to be the fastest growing segment of the working population in the future.  Approximately 6% of those over 80 are working.

Try telling them they are too old. (Duck first.)

Our brains don’t stop working as we age (unless cognitive decline occurs, which can happen to people of all ages). We don’t lose our sense of fun. We don’t forget how good it feels to jump into a swimming pool. Or hike a mountain trail. Or go on a date with someone we really like.

So let’s remind ourselves we are still part of the conversation, whether we are 55, 75, 85, 95 or better. And let’s lift up those brave enough to celebrate their wisdom and well-earned wrinkles. They’re rockin it.

So should we.

“The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.” – Frank Lloyd Wright