At 71, this ‘Lola’ defies ageism behind the wheel of her Honda City
Today, September 8, is Grandparents’ Day.
Given that Filipinos are renowned for maintaining close family ties, this is an opportunity for us to give back to our Lolos and Lolas who literally played a role in helping us exist today. For reporters like me, it was a challenge to find a topic that related mobility and senior citizens, especially because many (understandably) slow down as they get older.
But sometimes, the best stories are just under your nose. In my case, she was just six steps away in the next room, watching Netflix on her smartphone while our two dogs sleep peacefully on the floor in air-conditioned comfort.
My mother, who is quite camera-shy, just turned 71 years old last August. And even though she has been driving in the Philippines for around half a century, she shows no sign of giving up the keys to her 2002 Honda City anytime soon.
Slows down aging
I always drive for my mother when we go out together, but she is more than ready to venture out on her own.
“Because I can!” she exclaimed when asked why she is still behind the wheel, while many of her peers get a personal driver or stop driving altogether.
“I also don’t know how to use Grab,” she added with a hearty chuckle. “And I’m happy that I don’t have to depend on other people or wait for other people to do the things that I want to do.”
Indeed, this sense of independence is perhaps what has kept her looking and feeling so young.
“If you can do it, do it,” she said. “If you drive, you have to be alert all the time so you won’t become lethargic. If you don’t drive and you depend on others to get around, I think you will age even faster.”
Orthopaedic and hand surgeon Kanwaljit Soin wrote in an August 2023 article for The HEAD Foundation Digest that ageism or discrimination against elderly people is rooted in our inability to accept our inevitable future selves.
This discrimination is compounded for elderly women, who he contends are deemed “older earlier” because Southeast Asian cultures more often judge women by their physical appearance, instead of their accomplishments. Soin said this notion has buoyed the huge success of the aesthetic industry (cosmetics, plastic surgery, etc.) in the region.
And in some Asian societies, Soin noted a “misplaced sense of filial piety” whereby families show their love and devotion on their elderly parents “by putting too many restraints.” He said this can reinforce feelings of inadequacy and “make older people feel powerless and vulnerable,” leading to depression.
Indeed, my mother noted how being behind the wheel can do wonders for a senior’s mental health, albeit with a caveat.
“I don’t want to be put in a box because of my age,” she said. “It helps your self-worth knowing that you don’t have to wait for others to do what you want. Although I’m starting to get older with physical ails, I can still do it, but I know that I’m not as agile as when I was younger, so I must be extra careful.”
A faithful friend
Helping my mother get around for the last 22 years is her trusty 2002 Honda City LXi, finished in Taffeta White.
She has had this car from new – even keeping the original Sales Invoice from Honda Cars Shaw, where the car was purchased for just P582,000. And despite all of her adventures (and some of mine after I started driving), her City has only done 135,000 kilometers, which are documented with a full service history starting from its 1,000-kilometer service at the casa.
“I got it because it was one of the cheapest automatic-transmission cars at the time,” she said. “I used to drive manual cars and traffic has gotten heavier and heavier, so it’s harder to use a clutch. Also, it’s not so big – it’s not difficult to merge in traffic in tight roads.”
My Mom said she has grown fond of her little City, which has never let her down.
“After 20 years with me, I have an attachment to it because we’ve been through a lot together,” she said. “And I think this car has been good to me and my children because I did not experience any traumatic incident or major road crash while doing our commutes – just minor bumps and scratches. Until now, I’m not afraid to go on long drives on the expressway.”
So, if you see a bespectacled woman behind the wheel of her little white Honda, give her a friendly honk and wave!
Her driver’s license doesn’t expire until she turns 80, you know.
