Pam, Age 72
I recall the moment when I realized that I had passed some “age” bar in the minds of others. I was in the hospital having carpal tunnel surgery because I could no longer swim or bike comfortably. Before surgery, a young intern came to interview me. One of his questions was how much I walked. I said two miles a day was my minimum. He could not hear miles. He wrote “two blocks.” That was my first bump with age prejudice.
I was turned down for a job as assistant professor, after a career as professor and Dean.
At my institution, there’s an unstated policy that anyone over 55 won’t get a job. We’re thought to be out of touch with the younger population and assumed to be lacking in the necessary technical skills.