Thoughts On Growing Old

[pismoe]

I like getting older , I'm 65 , no problem at all !! Just a comment !!

 

[ninja007]

when you grow old your back goes out more than you do.

 

[pismoe]

no , no problems like that Ninja even though I broke my back in the teen days of my life . Crushed 2 of the lower vertebrae . All kinds of talk about how to fix it , my DAD and MOM said no surgery so they kept me in hospital on my back and I was bent at my back in a bed for 3 months . Then I got a bent Cast from the waist to shoulder height for a year , then a removable metal and canvas brace . I never wore the brace against doctors advice and my backs been good fer the last 50 or so years !! Getting older certainly hasn't bothered my general health as the little Problems I've had I've fixed by being normal . I eat better and less , I sleep better , I take no prescriptions . My back has been noticeable as a dull reminder for these 50 years but its never bothered me or stopped me from doing anything and I worked hard physical jobs for a portion of my life . Seriously , I attribute my general good health to good genes and [seriously] , I was a breast fed baby !! Never really been sick outside childhood measles , chickenpox , etc !!

 

[Delta4Embassy]

It isn't anything really obvious unless you take time to look at it closely and introspectively. It happens slowly, quietly, over a substantial period of time.

But at some point, usually somewhere around the time a person passes his/her 60th birthday, that we begin noticing a divide between the young and old. The older generation is still loved, appreciated, cared for, and usually included. But in the eyes of the young we aren't as hip, as savvy, as bright, or as capable as we once were.

On the job, we are as valued as ever for our work ethic, experience, know how, and competence. But we notice our advice is sought less from our more junior coworkers, and we might be omitted from invites to more strenuous after work activities.

In public we are often treated somewhat differently, with more deference, than other folks. We are more likely to be offered a seat or people will offer us assistance whether we need it or not.

It is at that point that we realize we have become the older generation with the perception that there is a very wide gap between us and the young who are certain we could not possibly understand what they are thinking or feeling, that we couldn't possibly love as hard, anticipate as much, hope as passionately, or feel as deeply as they do. And while we aren't exactly seen as stupid, the perception is that we just aren't as sharp or aware or as capable as they are.

Sometimes knowing this is inevitable is okay. And sometimes is sucks along with the physical issues that often come with old age.

This thread is not intended to be a complaint or criticism. Simply an observation of how it is.

Brought to mind,

"Ya'know, young man ו Your grandfather is a real cute. Bus Stop. Well, that's just dandy ו At 5 you're cute, at 20 you're a hunk, at 40 you're dashing ו and at 69 you're back being cute. Well I, young lady, am not CUTE. Smack! Let's be getting' home, cutie-pie. Okay."
and

"The lines of your face ו How wise you must be to be so old, Major ו Yep! A lot of living in this ol' face. Lines ו So many ו So deep ו Valleys of experience in a way. Yeah ו valleys. And the wrinkles ו the gorges of greatness ו Milo ו The nose ו a gnarled apricot in the sun of life. Clam up, boy."

 

[SusanMoon]

I like getting older , I'm 65 , no problem at all !! Just a comment !!

I love that! I want to be like you when I'm 65.
I also don't like growing older and started a blog to help people to embrace their age and growing older. There are a lot of misconceptions about there about aging and the more research I did on it, the more positive my outlook on aging as been. Here's the blog: Loving Your Age Loving Your Age wants to help you to discover the many benefits of your age and appreciate the joys of growing older.

 

[Bill Angel]

Truck promoting "Senior Citizen" Motorcycle Racing
"Senior Citizen" Cyclist with a Light Mounted on his Helmet
This fellow would definitely seem to "love his age"

 

[SusanMoon]

Now that's how you do it!

 

[Foxfyre]

Was just reading a shout out from our church that some folks are meeting on the far side of the mountain (that forms the eastern boundary of our city) and will enjoy a picnic lunch and then a climb to the top. I was just thinking how much I would have enjoyed doing that 20 years ago. And how it is out of the question now. And I hate that part of getting old.

 

[pismoe]

and that may be the difference FOXFYRE , me , I never saw a reason to climb a mountain just to climb a mountain so it wouldn't bother me . Just saying in a friendly conversational way !! Picnic would be fine though .

 

[Foxfyre]

and that may be the difference FOXFYRE , me , I never saw a reason to climb a mountain just to climb a mountain so it wouldn't bother me . Just saying in a friendly conversational way !! Picnic would be fine though .

I understand. There are a lot of things others do that I have never wanted to do--motor cycle riding, hang gliding, water skiing, sky diving come to mind. But the things I once loved to do included hiking and climbing and horseback riding, etc. all are difficult now. But I can still do a lot of stuff and I am grateful for that.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

I'm against growing old. Hopefully when I die I'll have gotten so old my mind will have turned to tapioca a long time back and I wont stress about it as much.

Sky burial or ocean variant for me (cut me up a little so my blood attracts critters to come have a feed, or drag me behind a speedboat ala "Weekend at Bernie's" to help wildlife photogs get pics of breeching sharks.) All I ask is poke me a little with a sharp stick to make sure I'm dead first. Then do as ya like.

Absolutely positively don't wanna be buried., I mean I know I"ll be dead and beyond caring, but I don't like the idea of "me" being around long after "me" has gone away. It's creepy.

 

[pismoe]

good to hear Foxfyre , yeah , I'm a motorcyclist , hunter , fisherman . My knees are shot but walking is no problem , like I say , I am 65 in a few days so we'll see what comes next !!

 

[pismoe]

I've asked to have my ashes dumped in a cedar swamp in the U.P. and I like yer thoughts on the sharp stick Delta !!

 

[Bill Angel]

Was just reading a shout out from our church that some folks are meeting on the far side of the mountain...

That's a great lead in to a gospel song:

 

[Dan Daly]

Getting old means I can still do the things I have always done...it just takes longer to recuperate.

Toby Keith said it best in a song: "I ain't as good as I once was, But I'm as good once as I ever was"

 

[Dajjal]

I like getting older , I'm 65 , no problem at all !! Just a comment !!

Yea! well just wait until you get to be 68. I am getting weaker by the week.

 

[Mr Natural]

Life is like a roll of toilet paper:

The closer you get to the end, the faster it seems to go.

 

[Roadrunner]

It isn't anything really obvious unless you take time to look at it closely and introspectively. It happens slowly, quietly, over a substantial period of time.

But at some point, usually somewhere around the time a person passes his/her 60th birthday, that we begin noticing a divide between the young and old. The older generation is still loved, appreciated, cared for, and usually included. But in the eyes of the young we aren't as hip, as savvy, as bright, or as capable as we once were.

On the job, we are as valued as ever for our work ethic, experience, know how, and competence. But we notice our advice is sought less from our more junior coworkers, and we might be omitted from invites to more strenuous after work activities.

In public we are often treated somewhat differently, with more deference, than other folks. We are more likely to be offered a seat or people will offer us assistance whether we need it or not.

It is at that point that we realize we have become the older generation with the perception that there is a very wide gap between us and the young who are certain we could not possibly understand what they are thinking or feeling, that we couldn't possibly love as hard, anticipate as much, hope as passionately, or feel as deeply as they do. And while we aren't exactly seen as stupid, the perception is that we just aren't as sharp or aware or as capable as they are.

Sometimes knowing this is inevitable is okay. And sometimes is sucks along with the physical issues that often come with old age.

This thread is not intended to be a complaint or criticism. Simply an observation of how it is.

You are only as old as you feel.

Take half-way decent care of yourself, get high on weed but shun alcohol and tobacco, and you will be ok.

Getting old beats the Hell out of the alternative.

 

[Roadrunner]

What is everyone's opinion on acting older? My grandparents seemed to accept acting older in dress, behavior and socially. I see more rebels in that regard these days.

I wish more old people would act their age. There was a NYT article just a few weeks back about baby boomers suddenly realizing that they're the old generation and having a conniption about it, declaring that they're still young at heart. What is it with people like that. They're older than me and they seem to not understand that their generation didn't discover youthful rebellion, the pleasures of sex, etc. I'm quite sure that old people 50 years ago also thought that they were young at heart but they acted their age.

Nothing more disgusting that some geriatric hippy slut trying to act like it was still the '60s.

 

[Moonglow]

I've already started following some of the advice Wake wrote about. I've recently lost about 40 lbs and have changed my diet drastically. I feel so much better, physically and mentally. Just to be able to look at my reflection and not think, who is that old, fat, geezer? Some of my persistent aches and pains are fading, as well. I guess that extra 40 lbs took a toll on the knees, hips, and back that you don't notice until they don't ache all the time.
Growing old is, indeed, no picnic. But if you find you can't do some of the things you used to do, find new things better suited to your abilities. Cherish your family and friends. Enjoy life!

All true. But I simply refuse to give in and BE old, you know? For most of us our priorities do change as we get older--we have a different perception of what is really important and what there is to be afraid of--but otherwise we feel as deeply, laugh as much, grieve as much, care as much, want as much, hope as much, and things mean as much as they ever did.

I still dress like I did 40 years ago, without the platforms and bell bottoms...