Jean Lewandowski is a retired special needs teacher. She lives in Nashua.

Several years ago, we and another couple saw Bohemian Rhapsody in a theater. On the way out, we heard a group of high school aged “kids” talking about how amazing it would have been to be alive back then to see Queen perform. Our friend said, “We were, and we loved them.” They gazed at us, star-struck, and one of them breathed, “Wow! You’re so lucky!!” It had taken almost seven decades, but we had finally become cool. This encounter was a delightful reminder that when we put aside assumptions and stereotypes about age and engage with others around shared experiences and common concerns, we discover powerful connections.

This kind of awareness and engagement is especially important this election year, when it appears increasingly likely that the two major-party presidential candidates will be men in their late 70s and early 80s. There’s much commentary about being “too old,” and the media are flooded with ageist comments and images. We can take a few jokes at our expense (yes, dinner time has gotten earlier), but when it comes to opinions about someone’s fitness for public office based on the dreaded “signs of aging,” we need to get serious.

Last month, the National Center to Reframe Aging, in collaboration with 10 other advocacy groups and Frameworks Institute, gave an online workshop titled “Addressing Ageism in Election Media Coverage.” The guidelines they presented are based on research about the aging process, common attitudes, and successful communication strategies. They fall into two broad and overlapping categories: raising awareness and changing the narrative.

Awareness means recognizing common stereotypes that are dismissive or demeaning. Kathleen Berger wrote in her book, “Invitation to the Life Span,” that ageism is even more resistant to change than other stereotypes because popular culture has long reinforced the idea that youthfulness, or at least appearing youthful, is superior in every way to being older. The idea is so ingrained that when children use negative language about an older person, adults often don’t correct them, and those negative ideas become accepted beliefs for yet another generation. It’s up to us then to become aware of our own unconscious biases so we recognize them when we encounter them in the media and in conversation.

Frameworks recommend that when we do see harmful stereotypes, we resist the temptation to try to refute them. It’s much more effective to state what we know to be true: aging is a dynamic process common to every person lucky enough to get older. Each stage brings abilities, insights, and knowledge sets that are especially valuable when it’s time to make big decisions affecting millions of people across all demographics.

Those whose frame of reference is only the 21st century, for instance, have had entirely different experiences from Boomers. We also have different yet compatible cognitive strengths. “Youngers,” a term author Ashton Applewhite suggests in her book, “This Chair Rocks,” have a command of the digital and virtual world and what’s known in neuroscience as “fluid intelligence,” the ability to reason and react quickly. “Olders” have increased “crystallized intelligence,” the ability to use accumulated knowledge and experience to understand networks of associations.

As voters, we’re like the board of directors interviewing applicants, so it’s important to be clear about the job description. We’re not hiring stunt doubles, fighter pilots, or Jeopardy contestants. While physical and mental agility are never bad things, it’s essential to prioritize them properly so we don’t get caught up in stereotypical thinking about age and “fitness.” Whether the candidate is running for local office or U.S. president, we want to see resumes that reflect a history of thoughtful, successful, principled leadership.

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In interviews, candidates should have a solid grasp of what the office requires and clearly articulated answers to important questions: What are your priorities? What is your position on a variety of policy issues? What are your strategies for getting things accomplished?

For the presidential race, it’s especially important to remember that the executive branch isn’t a single person; it’s a team of cabinet members and advisors. Ideally, they should be like Doris Kearns Goodwin’s description of President Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet in her book “Team of Rivals.” They were master communicators representing diverse points of view, arguing passionately, and coming to a consensus for the common good.

Finally, we must keep reminding ourselves and others that we are all in this together, we need one another, and at every age, we have valuable gifts to offer.