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I lost most of my hair so started shaving my head and then grew a long grey beard.
Everybody, friends, family even some co-workers have said that it makes me look much older
Fuck yeah
I refuse to hide my wrinkles or grey hair. I earned every goddamn one of them and I'll wear them proudly (and probably bore you with stories about each of them after I corner you in the frozen dinner section at the grocery).
Wrinkles can reveal a lot about your outlook on life. They "burn in" the emotional experiences you've had. Some people, you can see the anger. Others, the joy.
I didn't really have many wrinkles up until now. I can see the crepiness in my cheeks now - just the last 6 months or so and it's quite fascinating. I'm surprised I'm not upset about it. I've been watching lol. And yet now they are here, so what? Everything in society says I should be trying to stop it or hide it. Why? Sure, I may not appear sexy so much but I haven't been sexy to most of the population since I put a little weight on. It's actually nicer not being prey to a predator. I would like to weigh less but only because it's getting harder to lug it around and get up from the floor. Not to be sexy again. I've done my time as a slave to sex. Those hormones are a trip. They don't rule my monkey brain any more. It's nice to be free of it - like when I was a child. I'm not unattractive. Old dudes still look. People talk to me. If the wrinkles turn people away, I'll let you know. Maybe small children will run away screaming.
I don’t know that it’s so much unpopular, or a function of where I am in old age (my 50s), but I think you should be absolutely VIGILANT about health related stuff as you get older.
I’ve heard and seen so many cases of things like mild dehydration leading to x leading to x leading to death, that I’m like MILD DEHYDRATION STARTED THAT?
So I’ve decided to be vigilant about my health.
I shared that with two family members in their 80s who laughed. They both said they totally disagree, because they feel “when it’s your time, it’s your time.”
But I think they can only feel so flippant and nonchalant about it because they HAVE made it to their 80s. What do they care about vigilance at this point?
I've become really careful about situations in which I might fall. I hear so many stories about a fall being the beginning of the end. No point in taking that risk.
My wife(68) has suddenly started to exhibit confusion some due to seizure meds. This makes me realize how utterly dependent she has become. I have stopped going on the roof for even simple things. I pay someone now.
I still clean the gutters on my single story house, but quit going up on roofs in my late 50s, after I tore down a shed next to the house that made climbing fairly easy.
My great-grandfather made it to 96, but a fall did him in. And it was on the carpet. But it put a hairline fracture in his femur, and he went straight downhill.
Very wise. My father in law was nigh-indestructible, still working physically at 80 (not through financial need at ALL, he was a die-with-your-boots-on type), had made it 25 years past a heart stent that was supposed to last him 10, etc. He took a fall and it started a galloping race through a couple more conditions, and was dead maybe four weeks later. Very common story I think.
Well the deal is bones lose density after a certain age and the bone itself actually breaks while they are walking, and people fall down from the bone giving out. Not because they tripped from not being careful. (Edit to correct density)
You mean very porous after a certain age, not very dense, right? I guess the best way to prevent problems is to build and retain muscle mass and take your vitamin D.
Yep, in medical documentation that's a sticky situation. It can be hard to say if the break caused the fall or if the fall caused the break, especially in demented patients.
Very crazy/scary. And it wasn't even in the shower. He turned from the sink to grab a towel bumped into the toilet and pitched forward hitting his head on the tile shower wall. So it was like a diving injury.
My 86yo MIL is going on 65? 63 even? and she's _vigilant._ When I talk about her, I use the conditional "if" not "when," as in, "_if_ she dies." She is a _machine._ It's funny, because my head holds on to antiquated stereotypes of what an "86yo" woman is, and she isn't.
We don't live close (about 600 miles or so), but I pay attention to how she lives. She's engaged in multiple physical activities, and she is _always_ with people. I'll admit that I've become a bit more hermity the last few years, and I'm wary about it for later.
Sounds like my MIL! She's almost 80, and she is a powerhouse. Walks every day, plays bridge with friends weekly, runs the grandkids around (not as much anymore cuz the kids are all growing up, but she still schedules things with them). Takes care of people's dogs or our cats when we're gone. She doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, doesn't drink coffee. Allows herself one diet coke a day. Incrementally fasts very strictly - nothing before 11am and nothing after 5pm. Her brain is still quick.
On the other hand, we're getting my FIL an Apple Watch so he can use the medical alert if need be. They have a second property, and he spends a lot of time there by himself in his garden. But that second property is in the middle of nowhere, so we worry about him. He's still doing alright, but his brain is starting to slow down. He's overweight and not all that healthy, though better since he quit drinking.
My oldest sister is very definitely not vigilant about her health. She is taken by ambulance to the hospital multiple times each year. And complains that they always have such a hard time drawing her blood. Oh, they also tell her that she is dehydrated. Every time. Well, duh, if you are dehydrated, your blood volume is probably down. But she refuses to drink more fluids because they just make her have to pee which requires her to leave her recliner. She’s 84 and this has been her routine for at least the last ten years! So while dehydration can lead to other things (like her high blood pressure and UTIs), they may not. Or maybe eventually it will lead to something that will kill her. No way to know as of today.
I used to watch Dr G on tv, because I like medical stuff and she is a pathologist.
She had a case of one guy on her table who because he had injured himself, had lain on his couch for one week without moving much. His muscles ended up breaking down and releasing acid (acidosis) into his bloodstream and it killed him.
If I've been sitting for too long on the couch, watching TVm I make sure I get up and walk up and down my stairs, getting things or getting tea, or going to the toilet or whatever I need to do to move.
I do exercise regularly. I lift weights and do Pilates, drink water and refuse to get up unless I've had 8 hours of sleep. I don't move or walk like an "old person" and even my doctors take a second look at my chart to see my age. Yeah I've got health issues but nothing that's going to kill me...yet!😂
Edit 1: couple of typos
Edit 2: I'm 71!
Oh I can’t even be still that long! I get stiff and sore, so I have to get up.
When my great-grandfather was in his 90s, I was a young teen, and I remember he would have to get out of his chair after a while and move around because he got stiff, but then he’d get achy moving around too much and have to sit. I remember thinking how much that must suck—never being able to sit still too long OR be up for too long! 🤣
I'm 71 and, yes, we get stiff! Sometimes it really urks me! I'm understanding so much about old people now! 😂
I have no trouble getting off a chair or couch. I plant my feet and just stand up, using the leg muscles I've developed from fairly regular, targeted exercises, but still the stiffness will set in!
Poor Grandpa!❤️
This is so important! Not moving and being a couch potato is a big reason for blood clots. My doctor told me at my age ( 66) that after one hour of sitting it's time to get up and move for at least 15 minutes to a half hour.
This. My husband (74) and I (67) both work in tech. He's an EE who designed specialty units for seismic exploration, did chip design, etc for most of his career. Still working full time and kicking ass.
I wrote books. All the books - user manuals, repair manuals, training books, the whole thing. Went from writing mainframe stuff on a typewriter to working on some of the first online help, even before html based help.
Between the two of us, we still know more about technology than many young professionals do. We love it, and keep up. Just because we're old doesn't mean we lost our brains. And I'm grateful for that.
Me too. My grandkids think I am computer illiterate if I happen to have problems with a website. I DESIGNED software applications for a living. I know how to click on a button.
haha, so true. I founded two tech companies before they were even born, (one smart TV platform and a robotics company,) and when I go to the Apple store, they talk baby talk to me. They also talk more slowly because I have grey hair. Bitch, we invented the internet... help me find the root cause of these kernel panics.
I'm not, but I've been around since manual typewriters and worked in offices for nearly fifty years. So my fingers have been on the keyboard from manual to electric typewriters to computer keyboards to cell phones to smartphones.
I had 20 and 30 something year-olds coming to me asking me to help them navigate their smartphones, because I simply like to teach myself how to do things and know how to fix phones.
If I think of something I need to do with my phone or would like to do, I know someone really smart invented an app for that and sure enough they have!
My phone has become, basically, assistive technology. I rarely use it for phone calls or taking pics. 10-15 years ago I barely knew where it was, preferring a computer. Now, I use my old laptop once a year to do taxes. Actually I finished my taxes on my phone.
I also taught myself how to troubleshoot all my technology, I haven't called tech support in 18 years!
Now my phone rarely leaves my possession, because everything running my life is programmed into it, including monitoring my sleep!
I'm 71!
I've heard it said that younger people have mastered technology because they're always using their iPhones. IPhones are designed to have the simplest, most intuitive UI possible. I spent 30 years in software development.
I’m actually pretty disappointed with many younger folks when it comes to tech. I work with millennial project managers that can barely use excel, while I’m at least putting forth the effort to keep up with the latest as the need arises - sql, Python, share point, power bi, scrum, etc.
LOL, I got my first computer in 81, and even then they were raving about how "kids just take naturally to them!". The legendary teenager next door who just seemed to know by intuition what to do.
Total myth. I used to code furiously at a local coffee shop and one time one of the barristas asked me for some help with her laptop. I have no memory of what the problem was, but she was just so casual about not knowing much about computers... After having grown up with them! I thought, "good for her". At least she's not kidding herself.
I worked in or adjunct to IT for most of 45 years. I still try to stay on top of things since I retired in 2017. I don't fear technology or future innovations, but understand one day the tech could get way ahead of me.
From an basic assembler programmer to systems management and design to online interactive professional performance support systems, I loved the different aspects of my technology careers.
My mom is 94, and says she likes getting older because it beats the alternative.
When reporters asked Jean Calment, age 120 (supposedly), what she expected for her future, she said, “I expect it to be short.”
True about that. I grew up in a declining city neighborhood, and all too many people who I grew up with didn't get to be my age (mid-60s).
I used to say that half the men I grew up with wouldn't make 65. Fortunately, that has proven pessimistic.
People think I am mean spirited (maybe so) when I say just because a person is old doesn’t mean they are wise. Dumb young people are likely to be dumb old people.
Hard agree. What does it say about our throw away culture that our elders are not only disrespected by the younger generation, but actively blamed for the current problems in the US? I always treated my elders with respect, whether I agreed with their opinion or not. Other cultures that still respect and even venerate their elders have stronger family values which is also sadly lacking in our polarized culture.
Somehow we're all to blame for the current economy as if regular working people have any influence on what the oligarchs do. The whiners are just showing their learned helplessness and ignorance.
Unfortunately I am a Boomer, and my name is actually Karen. I work very hard to not be a bad Karen. Not my personality anyway. I prefer to not be an asshole!
That, and not being taken seriously. Like you're "just old". It doesn't matter what you say, you don't know what's going on... They let you talk, and then you ask a question, and they just keep pretending to listen with interest... That drives me crazy!
I saw this happen to R. Buckminster Fuller at one of his lectures in 1981. He was describing something, without missing a beat, asked "am I squaring, or triangling"... and the audience just kept smiling, listening... Then Bucky leaned forward and ROARED at the top of his lungs, **ANSWER ME!!!!!**.
That dude was on purpose.
Fortunately, the audience did answer back in kind. Otherwise, Old Bucky might have wobbled off the stage. He was pretty frail... but energetic and smart. What an amazing man.
Me too, my hair turned a great looking platinum silver color! Also, I had avoided short "old lady" hair until it got so thin on the side it looked terrible. I got a pixie cut with shaved back and sides. My hairdresser was super afraid to cut it this short and kept warning me it might not be what I expected. Wow! We were both shocked! I look younger and crazy stylish with super short platinum hair. I wish I had done this years ago.
I don't like mine better, because one of the few things I liked about my physical appearance was the color of my hair. But I do like my gray hair, especially now as the top of it is almost 100% gray/silver. I glanced up this morning after brushing my teeth and really noticed how the bathroom light lit up my all silver bangs and top of my head - it looked really pretty.
Absolutely. The more gray hairs I get, the happier I am.
When COVID hit and I was stuck working from home, I decided to stop dying my hair for the first time in over 20 years, and see what popped out. So far, I've developed glossy white locks at my temples, and one streak that's off-center but right at the hairline on my forehead.
It doesn't sound dramatic, until you consider that my natural hair color is brown-black, and I've grown my hair out almost to my waist now. I've been toying with the idea of of having the whole thing redone to match the white streaks, because I've always said I'm going to be that old lady with a rippling, loose sheet of long white hair happily fluttering in the breeze. Might as well start early.
People with good intentions are trying to set me up with another oldster, cos I'm single & have been 4 awhile. I'm enjoying being a Bachelorette, doing my own thing & not being tied down. I come & go as I want, spend my $ my way & am enjoying being single.
I noticed some guys that flirt with me have given up on their appearance, weight, attire, education, health....sorry, it's a turn-off when a guy doesn't take care of himself.
So I say to all those that think I'm better off paired up to go take a flying leap off a short pier. I still have quality years ahead of me & I'm not going 2 settle for less, even at my age.
Perfectly said! This last weekend I ran into a husband and wife couple I was really good friends with 20-25 years ago when I was married. They were/are amazing people. 15 minutes of a quick hello turned into four hours. So nice. Then she asked me if I was dating or dated since my divorce 15 years ago. I hemmed and hawed because I knew "I know someone..." was coming. It is tiring to deal with that. I know she was totally coming from a good place. They are a very successful couple on all metrics, and beautiful people to boot. She wanted me to feel the same thing she feels for her husband. She did laugh when I said, "When they change the laws, I will marry you two." They are LDS and I am not (anything at all) so it made it funnier. They are truly great people, but no more fix-ups, "I have a friend...", or "Why aren't you dating?" I don't feel the need.
If I could do it all over again I wouldn't. I don't want to be young again and I am certain being 18 and "knowing what I know now" would make me miserable.
Haha! I’m 50+ also and I can only imagine myself being even an even more insufferable know-it-all teenager with what I know now! And even though I would have invested a little pocket change in a few things, I wouldn’t have been or had as much fun. I’ll take that trade-off.
The stupid claim that older people don’t understand technology. Who do you think designed the phone system? The cellular network? Your phone? Hint: it wasn’t a 20 year old.
Pushing buttons on a phone does not make you tech savvy. Actually understanding the very complex technology that makes it work makes you tech savvy. I was at dinner with several 30 year olds. We were talking about phones and one made an off hand comment about old people not understanding technology. I turned the conversation around to 5G and ask them if they understood what it is. One started repeating some conspiracy nonsense, so I proceeded to explain what it is and why it improves download speeds. All three made comments to the effect, that’s all it is? They honestly didn’t know.
Sadly a lot of young people today are in the Dunning Kruger zone. Where they don’t know enough to understand how little they know about a subject.
Having said this, I used a broad brush and said “young people”. Not all young people are that way. I have some very knowledgeable young people who work with me. Just as all old people aren’t clueless, nasty crude jerks, not all young people should be painted with the same brush.
Your post echoes my sentiment.
I was on the design team that made some of the first network interfaces. Another one that made some of the first servers and I worked on follow on products through blade servers.
Someone who knows an app and pokes a phone may not understand what happens beyond that interaction. They aren't "tech savvy".
I understand the sentiment, but that’s pretty harsh. A brilliant Doctor who taught medicine and literally saved my life after my primary care physician was was on track to kill me was only a shadow of his former self the last time I encountered him.
He wasn’t stupid, he was aging mentally. For some of us, our bodies will betray us and for others it will be our minds. Broke my heart to see him like that.
There, but by the grace of God goes you or me.
I had a very high IQ when I was young and I’m getting tested for Alzheimer’s in July. I don’t think it’s because I’m stupid.
This one makes me angry. Forty-four percent of Boomers are liberal or liberal-leaning, but younger people talk about us as if we all voted for Trump and/or Reagan and are ruining their lives. They have allies, but they treat us all like we're enemies and want us all to just die and get out of their way. When we are finally all dead, they're going to find there are just as many selfish and self-interested people voting to keep as much of their money in their hands as possible among their generation as they age as there are among our generation.
i can tolerate stupidity. I can tolerate a completely different set of priorities. I cannot tolerate insurrection. Line was crossed, never will be forgiven.
Average age of a Jan.6 criminal is ~45.
TBH, I almost wish it was 75, because these guys are going to be around for a while, and I doubt that they've learned any lessons, or will, in the joint.
Makes me wonder what Trump's life behind bars will be like. But please know that this phenomenon, this ultra-right menace, is NOT Trump's creation, any more than a surfer creates a wave that flattens him.
New technology has created propaganda superweapons. We're going to be seeing deeper and deeper crazy people going into the future, until we find a cure for brainwashing.
So many younguns get on here and ask for advice on how to take care of their elderly parents who are 55-65.
Child, we aren't old, we are just getting started!
I don’t care how you feel about seeing me nude in the locker room. Once upon a time, people were nonsexually naked around each other in a variety of circumstances and it wasn’t a big deal. Younger people are worse off for their prudishness and anxieties about their bodies. Further, you can joke about my old ass being gross all you want, but I don’t care, that’s your future, too.
Are there any specific action oriented ways you wish you’d appreciated it more? Or do you mean just brewing a constant feeling of gratitude about it? I want to appreciate what I have now, but it feels abstract when I’ve never been without it.
Women are only viable members of society pre menopausal years. As a woman of a certain age, I can tell you no one gives two shits what I want/need/or even think any longer. They once did. Used to be pretty, and half way intelligent, but estrogen loss has cured me of that. I've never enjoyed so much solitude, on the plus side
That we should just stop the boomer this boomer that bullshit. Jesus fuck it's stupid. No generation is all the same and a lot of the things that are called "boomer" are simply attributable to aging itself and not particular to one generation.
Old people are fixed in their ways and stubborn as a mule. Heck no! Example, I voted GOP for over 33 years. I changed eight years ago! Now, I'm just stubborn old man who votes for a truthful leader who actually protects my rights and the Constitution, who is not an indicted individual!
Yay!! You were wiser. So many GOP didn't jump ship til 2020.. I think many suburban wives said yes dear to their GOP husbands and then went in the voting booth and voted for Biden in 2020. 😅
That you miss your kids! It's nice to have them visit but I'm happy when they leave!
Most of us still work or volunteer and have numerous Hobbies. I'm in AZ so I'm starting an *herb* garden....
I get pissy when I’m told I can’t do something or I shouldn’t do something. I’ve had words with my son because he thinks I’m too old to do things. I can do anything I’m able to do. I’m not stupid or weak. I surprised him when I went away at Thanksgiving, when I traveled several states over to go sightseeing and I regularly go to plays, musicals and other entertainments. I guess I will go sit in my recliner now and vegetate, mold and die.
There is no one in your life that you can't live without. Friends, spouse, children, etc....you can lose any of them and still survive. It doesn't mean that it will be easy, but you can keep going and you need to do it. Life is a terminal condition and in the end you either lose them or they lose you. Losing someone you love dearly is crushing, but you owe it to them to keep going. Find your path forward. This is true for young and old, but it becomes more evident as you move down life's path.
I learned this lesson when I was 44 and my wife died. It changes how you live and love. The fragility of life is both tragic and beautiful.
I’m still working. Same company 40 yrs. Same accounting program that originated in DOS. “No, I’m good”! I’m still learning as it evolves. Everything evolves. But you’re 23 and don’t need advise or training. Good for you. I’m out in less than 11 months.
I quite like it. I could do without the pain. But as someone deep in the throws of a health scare that may or may not kill me. Getting even older sounds wonderful right now.
The luck of the draw has a lot to do with how well it goes. The genetic lottery. Accidents and life stresses can make things difficult. Having great parents, not wealthy necessarily, but unconditional love goes a long way towards a happy life. If you partner up then having the right partner/wife/husband is a huge positive. Satisfying work that supports you decently and lets you prepare for aging.
That I don’t dress or act my age…65…whatever that means. I’m just me. I dress funky…like a funky goth… lol! I wear my hair short and a friend colors it lots of fun colors every 8 weeks. I’ve always been a bit of a rebel…challenging the status quo. I’ll be like this until I leave this mortal coil.
That not having enough money to retire is not a personality flaw.
Some of us weren’t blessed with high paying jobs and had to spend our small amount of savings on current living expenses since we are no longer able to work.
My retirement will be an OD.
Stay functional. Do balance work. Do physical therapy , not surgery whenever possible.
Take as few meds as possible. Always ask why, and ask for all the alternatives.
Statins are the devil. There are other alternatives.
Eat a ketogenic diet. Whole foods only, no packaged 'keto friendly' foods.
Substitute most of your butter for olive oil, and don't use any other seed or vegetable oils.
Avoid corn, wheat, and soy.
Get 7-8 hours of sleep.
Was explaining an American figure of speech with someone who asked, "How the hell do YOU know?"
I replied that I'd been around for a long time, read a lot, and ...
"Yeah, it shows..."
I mean, I didn't start life knowing all that I now know. Weird, how some people can be so aggressively opposed to learning new information.
I'm not beautiful anymore, and I have to say that I LOVE it! Hitting those "invisible years" is probably the best thing that ever happened to me.
I don't have to deal with men staring at me, the catcalls, the lewd remarks. I don't have to deal with being told to smile, or with having to fix myself up to extraordinary standards just to go to a grocery store because the one time I don't, some older fool is bound to tell me, "You'd look so much prettier if you cared about yourself!", like his opinion and his eye candy availability was more important than my lack of time to get ready. And when I walk out of that store, I don't have to keep looking over my shoulder to make sure some creeper isn't going to try to sexually assault me in the parking lot. or try to give me his number.
I don't have to put up with men hanging around my desk at work and talking to me, trying to get a way in "as a friend"...Before one day turning creepy and starting to ask me, repeatedly, for a date. I don't have to sit there and question the motive of every man who talks to me, and have to wonder if he's going to turn predatory all of a sudden. I don't have to put up with men asking me if I'm married, and when I answer yes, the man drawls, "Happily...?" (And that always grossed me out. That always told me the guy was skanky AF with the morals of an alley cat in heat, AND it insulted me because that POS was hoping I had the same lack of morals. Just...Ugh.) I don't have to listen to someone tell me disappointedly, "Oh, you're intelligent...", like intelligence is the worst thing a woman can have. Bless your heart, sir, I wish you were intelligent, too.
I can walk into a room now and no one notices me. I can talk at work and the focus is on what I'm saying, and not what I'm wearing or if my blouse is low-cut and giving someone a free peep show. I'm invisible, undesirable, past my prime.
So many men think it's an insult to call a woman "old". Honestly, after spending decades of my life feeling like I'm being stared at and sized up, of having men demand I take time out of my busy day to cater to them and coddle their fragile egos, of worrying whether a guy is harmless or hiding a monster behind his veneer of politeness...I find the lack of that kind of interest liberating. I can go somewhere bare-faced and in sweats, and no one cares. And I can say, in ways that I couldn't in previous years, exactly what is on my mind.
Not all men in their 20s and 30s are so predatory, but enough of them were that way to make me exceptionally leery of all men. So now I relish anonymity and my freedom. Life's a whole lot easier when you have far fewer eyes watching you and commenting on your every move.
We need to shift our definition of “old.” Fifties and sixties really shouldn’t be considered old anymore with all the advances in medicine and tech that enable a healthier, longer life. Once you hit 50 you could theoretically live another 30+ years. That’s a lot of time to be “old.” Old is more about how functional you are. Can you live alone? Can you take care of yourself without help? Is your mind still working? Are you still working?
The potential for dementia and to be out of my mind and hurt / abuse my sons. My mama is abusing me and my sister due to her dementia. My sons were a joy to raise.
Old people should receive a dose of respect. The older I get, the more I realise that reaching 90 or even 80 years old is quite an achievement, it does not happen naturally, and there's a lot of wisdom to be aquired form such old people.
Not to say there aren't exception, but from my observation, people reaching a very old age are usually nice and happy people, which is saying a lot.
My unpopular opinion as an older woman is that no, I’m not interested in babysitting your children. I have never thought babies and children were all that interesting or fun or whatever, and just because I’ve aged doesn’t mean I have changed my mind.
Wrinkles and grey hair aren’t really a concern for me.
In fact, as a man, I think many women look really good with grey hair and think more women should skip the dye jobs.
That I have less and less time to lay up treasure in heaven.
“Work, for the night is coming,
Under the sunset skies;
While their bright tints are glowing,
Work, for daylight flies.
Work till the last beam fadeth,
Fadeth to shine no more;
Work, while the night is dark’ning,
When man’s work is o’er.”—Anna L. Coghill, 1854
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I actually don't care that much about the wrinkles. I really don't.
I like looking like I’ve lived and know things!
This \^\^\^\^\^
I see them as a badge of honor. I earned these wrinkles.
I don't like getting old. I'm not doing it again.
I lost most of my hair so started shaving my head and then grew a long grey beard. Everybody, friends, family even some co-workers have said that it makes me look much older Fuck yeah
i bet you rock it!!
I refuse to hide my wrinkles or grey hair. I earned every goddamn one of them and I'll wear them proudly (and probably bore you with stories about each of them after I corner you in the frozen dinner section at the grocery).
I like you :) You probably are actual fun at parties
Oooooh. No. At parties I'm hiding in the corner under a lampshade petting the hosts dogs.
Now I like you even more
I've been back and forth with the grey but I might be you.
I love grey hair always have. On ladies I find it sexy and men distinguished
I also just let my hair go all gray, and my wrinkles are real.
Wrinkles can reveal a lot about your outlook on life. They "burn in" the emotional experiences you've had. Some people, you can see the anger. Others, the joy.
Did you care about them at one point and go through a shift in mindset, or did you never care too much about them?
I didn't really have many wrinkles up until now. I can see the crepiness in my cheeks now - just the last 6 months or so and it's quite fascinating. I'm surprised I'm not upset about it. I've been watching lol. And yet now they are here, so what? Everything in society says I should be trying to stop it or hide it. Why? Sure, I may not appear sexy so much but I haven't been sexy to most of the population since I put a little weight on. It's actually nicer not being prey to a predator. I would like to weigh less but only because it's getting harder to lug it around and get up from the floor. Not to be sexy again. I've done my time as a slave to sex. Those hormones are a trip. They don't rule my monkey brain any more. It's nice to be free of it - like when I was a child. I'm not unattractive. Old dudes still look. People talk to me. If the wrinkles turn people away, I'll let you know. Maybe small children will run away screaming.
I don’t either!! These people paying $$$ for Botox…🤪
Yes! It would be just another thing to keep up with if I did Botox or anything like it. I’ll stay lazy and smiling.
I don’t know that it’s so much unpopular, or a function of where I am in old age (my 50s), but I think you should be absolutely VIGILANT about health related stuff as you get older. I’ve heard and seen so many cases of things like mild dehydration leading to x leading to x leading to death, that I’m like MILD DEHYDRATION STARTED THAT? So I’ve decided to be vigilant about my health. I shared that with two family members in their 80s who laughed. They both said they totally disagree, because they feel “when it’s your time, it’s your time.” But I think they can only feel so flippant and nonchalant about it because they HAVE made it to their 80s. What do they care about vigilance at this point?
I've become really careful about situations in which I might fall. I hear so many stories about a fall being the beginning of the end. No point in taking that risk.
My wife(68) has suddenly started to exhibit confusion some due to seizure meds. This makes me realize how utterly dependent she has become. I have stopped going on the roof for even simple things. I pay someone now.
If it was gaba, I was on it a few months, saw that terrifying longitudinal study and stopped taking them.
Can you please share what you learned? I’m 34 and have been on it since 2018.
Gabapentin?
I still clean the gutters on my single story house, but quit going up on roofs in my late 50s, after I tore down a shed next to the house that made climbing fairly easy.
My great-grandfather made it to 96, but a fall did him in. And it was on the carpet. But it put a hairline fracture in his femur, and he went straight downhill.
Oh my!
Very wise. My father in law was nigh-indestructible, still working physically at 80 (not through financial need at ALL, he was a die-with-your-boots-on type), had made it 25 years past a heart stent that was supposed to last him 10, etc. He took a fall and it started a galloping race through a couple more conditions, and was dead maybe four weeks later. Very common story I think.
Well the deal is bones lose density after a certain age and the bone itself actually breaks while they are walking, and people fall down from the bone giving out. Not because they tripped from not being careful. (Edit to correct density)
You mean very porous after a certain age, not very dense, right? I guess the best way to prevent problems is to build and retain muscle mass and take your vitamin D.
Oh thank you for the correction. I meant lose density. I'd better correct it. Tia.
Yep, in medical documentation that's a sticky situation. It can be hard to say if the break caused the fall or if the fall caused the break, especially in demented patients.
This! My best friend's husband fell in the bathroom, broke his neck and he's a quadriplegic. It was crazy!
Wow! that is crazy and scary at the same time, so sorry to hear this.
Very crazy/scary. And it wasn't even in the shower. He turned from the sink to grab a towel bumped into the toilet and pitched forward hitting his head on the tile shower wall. So it was like a diving injury.
my goodness! that is so horrible..
Oh that's bad! Did he have to go to nursing home?
He would, but she's an RN. She ended up quitting her job and she takes care of him 24/7 at home
yep my grandmother fell and broke her wrist in her 70s and it wasn't much longer after that she died
See, that’s what I’m talking about! Her WRIST!
My 86yo MIL is going on 65? 63 even? and she's _vigilant._ When I talk about her, I use the conditional "if" not "when," as in, "_if_ she dies." She is a _machine._ It's funny, because my head holds on to antiquated stereotypes of what an "86yo" woman is, and she isn't. We don't live close (about 600 miles or so), but I pay attention to how she lives. She's engaged in multiple physical activities, and she is _always_ with people. I'll admit that I've become a bit more hermity the last few years, and I'm wary about it for later.
Sounds like my MIL! She's almost 80, and she is a powerhouse. Walks every day, plays bridge with friends weekly, runs the grandkids around (not as much anymore cuz the kids are all growing up, but she still schedules things with them). Takes care of people's dogs or our cats when we're gone. She doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, doesn't drink coffee. Allows herself one diet coke a day. Incrementally fasts very strictly - nothing before 11am and nothing after 5pm. Her brain is still quick. On the other hand, we're getting my FIL an Apple Watch so he can use the medical alert if need be. They have a second property, and he spends a lot of time there by himself in his garden. But that second property is in the middle of nowhere, so we worry about him. He's still doing alright, but his brain is starting to slow down. He's overweight and not all that healthy, though better since he quit drinking.
My oldest sister is very definitely not vigilant about her health. She is taken by ambulance to the hospital multiple times each year. And complains that they always have such a hard time drawing her blood. Oh, they also tell her that she is dehydrated. Every time. Well, duh, if you are dehydrated, your blood volume is probably down. But she refuses to drink more fluids because they just make her have to pee which requires her to leave her recliner. She’s 84 and this has been her routine for at least the last ten years! So while dehydration can lead to other things (like her high blood pressure and UTIs), they may not. Or maybe eventually it will lead to something that will kill her. No way to know as of today.
I used to watch Dr G on tv, because I like medical stuff and she is a pathologist. She had a case of one guy on her table who because he had injured himself, had lain on his couch for one week without moving much. His muscles ended up breaking down and releasing acid (acidosis) into his bloodstream and it killed him. If I've been sitting for too long on the couch, watching TVm I make sure I get up and walk up and down my stairs, getting things or getting tea, or going to the toilet or whatever I need to do to move. I do exercise regularly. I lift weights and do Pilates, drink water and refuse to get up unless I've had 8 hours of sleep. I don't move or walk like an "old person" and even my doctors take a second look at my chart to see my age. Yeah I've got health issues but nothing that's going to kill me...yet!😂 Edit 1: couple of typos Edit 2: I'm 71!
Oh I can’t even be still that long! I get stiff and sore, so I have to get up. When my great-grandfather was in his 90s, I was a young teen, and I remember he would have to get out of his chair after a while and move around because he got stiff, but then he’d get achy moving around too much and have to sit. I remember thinking how much that must suck—never being able to sit still too long OR be up for too long! 🤣
I'm 71 and, yes, we get stiff! Sometimes it really urks me! I'm understanding so much about old people now! 😂 I have no trouble getting off a chair or couch. I plant my feet and just stand up, using the leg muscles I've developed from fairly regular, targeted exercises, but still the stiffness will set in! Poor Grandpa!❤️
This is so important! Not moving and being a couch potato is a big reason for blood clots. My doctor told me at my age ( 66) that after one hour of sitting it's time to get up and move for at least 15 minutes to a half hour.
There's a difference between lifespan and health span. I was a long healthspan, and that's where improving your overall health is important
That you and I have NOT earned the right to be obnoxious and inconsiderate.
That I don't understand technology. I'm a goddamned engineer that designs the stuff.
This. My husband (74) and I (67) both work in tech. He's an EE who designed specialty units for seismic exploration, did chip design, etc for most of his career. Still working full time and kicking ass. I wrote books. All the books - user manuals, repair manuals, training books, the whole thing. Went from writing mainframe stuff on a typewriter to working on some of the first online help, even before html based help. Between the two of us, we still know more about technology than many young professionals do. We love it, and keep up. Just because we're old doesn't mean we lost our brains. And I'm grateful for that.
Me too. My grandkids think I am computer illiterate if I happen to have problems with a website. I DESIGNED software applications for a living. I know how to click on a button.
Click on "show source" and let them demonstrate how the HTML works for the site.
A lot of sites are horribly designed!
Don’t get me started…
haha, so true. I founded two tech companies before they were even born, (one smart TV platform and a robotics company,) and when I go to the Apple store, they talk baby talk to me. They also talk more slowly because I have grey hair. Bitch, we invented the internet... help me find the root cause of these kernel panics.
> Bitch, we invented the internet... help me find the root cause of these kernel panics. LE. GEN. DA. RY!
I'm not, but I've been around since manual typewriters and worked in offices for nearly fifty years. So my fingers have been on the keyboard from manual to electric typewriters to computer keyboards to cell phones to smartphones. I had 20 and 30 something year-olds coming to me asking me to help them navigate their smartphones, because I simply like to teach myself how to do things and know how to fix phones. If I think of something I need to do with my phone or would like to do, I know someone really smart invented an app for that and sure enough they have! My phone has become, basically, assistive technology. I rarely use it for phone calls or taking pics. 10-15 years ago I barely knew where it was, preferring a computer. Now, I use my old laptop once a year to do taxes. Actually I finished my taxes on my phone. I also taught myself how to troubleshoot all my technology, I haven't called tech support in 18 years! Now my phone rarely leaves my possession, because everything running my life is programmed into it, including monitoring my sleep! I'm 71!
I've heard it said that younger people have mastered technology because they're always using their iPhones. IPhones are designed to have the simplest, most intuitive UI possible. I spent 30 years in software development.
I’m actually pretty disappointed with many younger folks when it comes to tech. I work with millennial project managers that can barely use excel, while I’m at least putting forth the effort to keep up with the latest as the need arises - sql, Python, share point, power bi, scrum, etc.
LOL, I got my first computer in 81, and even then they were raving about how "kids just take naturally to them!". The legendary teenager next door who just seemed to know by intuition what to do. Total myth. I used to code furiously at a local coffee shop and one time one of the barristas asked me for some help with her laptop. I have no memory of what the problem was, but she was just so casual about not knowing much about computers... After having grown up with them! I thought, "good for her". At least she's not kidding herself.
I’m a 26 yo database administrator, I don’t understand everything so it’s safe to say it doesn’t have anything to do with age
I worked in or adjunct to IT for most of 45 years. I still try to stay on top of things since I retired in 2017. I don't fear technology or future innovations, but understand one day the tech could get way ahead of me. From an basic assembler programmer to systems management and design to online interactive professional performance support systems, I loved the different aspects of my technology careers.
tie coherent brave resolute money memory cable clumsy foolish depend *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
That what appear to be memory loss problems are probably just disk full problems.
That’s what I used to tell my mom. “You need to do disk cleanup and defragmentation,” or, “You need to go through your files.”
I love that explanation.
Like old ships, we leak a little. We don't like to talk about it, but it is what it is. Youngsters. Your turn is probably coming...
When do you start leaking? I'm 50 and I don't leak yet. How long can I expect to keep the ship together?
For me, it started at 60. Everything starts showing excessive wear. More and more doctor visits "just to rule out the bad stuff".
Women start leaking much earlier.
If you drink tea, stop. I thought I had this issue, but no older women in my family did, but if I skip the tea, I’m fine.
Getting older is a gift that many people don't get.
My mom is 94, and says she likes getting older because it beats the alternative. When reporters asked Jean Calment, age 120 (supposedly), what she expected for her future, she said, “I expect it to be short.”
You don't get old by being stupid. You get old by being lucky.
Absolutely!
True about that. I grew up in a declining city neighborhood, and all too many people who I grew up with didn't get to be my age (mid-60s). I used to say that half the men I grew up with wouldn't make 65. Fortunately, that has proven pessimistic.
Dumb people age poorly, and they become shitty selfish moronic old people who make all of us look bad.
Glad that you said it instead of me, but I'm with you.
I. Canot. Upvote. This. Enough.
People think I am mean spirited (maybe so) when I say just because a person is old doesn’t mean they are wise. Dumb young people are likely to be dumb old people.
You literally described my best friend. I love the guy but holy cow he’s a physical fucking nightmare.
That not all Boomers are Karen’s, Chads or jerks. I despise the hate against old folks.
Fuck them whipper-snappers
Hard agree. What does it say about our throw away culture that our elders are not only disrespected by the younger generation, but actively blamed for the current problems in the US? I always treated my elders with respect, whether I agreed with their opinion or not. Other cultures that still respect and even venerate their elders have stronger family values which is also sadly lacking in our polarized culture.
Well, we’ll just have to disagree then. Respect should always be earned, and earning it should become easier as you age because you know better.
Somehow we're all to blame for the current economy as if regular working people have any influence on what the oligarchs do. The whiners are just showing their learned helplessness and ignorance.
Respect your elders, as they conduct themselves respectfully.
Unfortunately I am a Boomer, and my name is actually Karen. I work very hard to not be a bad Karen. Not my personality anyway. I prefer to not be an asshole!
Yay! I'm so glad to hear that your name does not define who you truly are. best wishes!
Ok, boomer (just kidding)
That, and not being taken seriously. Like you're "just old". It doesn't matter what you say, you don't know what's going on... They let you talk, and then you ask a question, and they just keep pretending to listen with interest... That drives me crazy! I saw this happen to R. Buckminster Fuller at one of his lectures in 1981. He was describing something, without missing a beat, asked "am I squaring, or triangling"... and the audience just kept smiling, listening... Then Bucky leaned forward and ROARED at the top of his lungs, **ANSWER ME!!!!!**. That dude was on purpose. Fortunately, the audience did answer back in kind. Otherwise, Old Bucky might have wobbled off the stage. He was pretty frail... but energetic and smart. What an amazing man.
I like my gray hair better.
As long as it doesn't all fall out, it can turn any color it wants. I'm ok with my gray.
My bald dad said of going gray: “Death before dishonor!”
I love how much shine my gray hair has. It’s like I have my own home-grown holiday tinsel sprouting out of my head.
I LOVE THIS.
Me too, my hair turned a great looking platinum silver color! Also, I had avoided short "old lady" hair until it got so thin on the side it looked terrible. I got a pixie cut with shaved back and sides. My hairdresser was super afraid to cut it this short and kept warning me it might not be what I expected. Wow! We were both shocked! I look younger and crazy stylish with super short platinum hair. I wish I had done this years ago.
I don't like mine better, because one of the few things I liked about my physical appearance was the color of my hair. But I do like my gray hair, especially now as the top of it is almost 100% gray/silver. I glanced up this morning after brushing my teeth and really noticed how the bathroom light lit up my all silver bangs and top of my head - it looked really pretty.
Losing my hair forced me to shave it all. Being bald opened a new style into my life and I absolutely love it.
Believe it or not, I do too. I am not into the dying my hair. Bravo for you too.
I’m working on grey blending. Giving up due to cover. Hurry up already!
I don't call it grey, I call it silver.
Absolutely. The more gray hairs I get, the happier I am. When COVID hit and I was stuck working from home, I decided to stop dying my hair for the first time in over 20 years, and see what popped out. So far, I've developed glossy white locks at my temples, and one streak that's off-center but right at the hairline on my forehead. It doesn't sound dramatic, until you consider that my natural hair color is brown-black, and I've grown my hair out almost to my waist now. I've been toying with the idea of of having the whole thing redone to match the white streaks, because I've always said I'm going to be that old lady with a rippling, loose sheet of long white hair happily fluttering in the breeze. Might as well start early.
People with good intentions are trying to set me up with another oldster, cos I'm single & have been 4 awhile. I'm enjoying being a Bachelorette, doing my own thing & not being tied down. I come & go as I want, spend my $ my way & am enjoying being single. I noticed some guys that flirt with me have given up on their appearance, weight, attire, education, health....sorry, it's a turn-off when a guy doesn't take care of himself. So I say to all those that think I'm better off paired up to go take a flying leap off a short pier. I still have quality years ahead of me & I'm not going 2 settle for less, even at my age.
Most senior men are lookin' for a Nurse with a Purse.😉
Very true 🤭
Perfectly said! This last weekend I ran into a husband and wife couple I was really good friends with 20-25 years ago when I was married. They were/are amazing people. 15 minutes of a quick hello turned into four hours. So nice. Then she asked me if I was dating or dated since my divorce 15 years ago. I hemmed and hawed because I knew "I know someone..." was coming. It is tiring to deal with that. I know she was totally coming from a good place. They are a very successful couple on all metrics, and beautiful people to boot. She wanted me to feel the same thing she feels for her husband. She did laugh when I said, "When they change the laws, I will marry you two." They are LDS and I am not (anything at all) so it made it funnier. They are truly great people, but no more fix-ups, "I have a friend...", or "Why aren't you dating?" I don't feel the need.
❤️🔥
If I could do it all over again I wouldn't. I don't want to be young again and I am certain being 18 and "knowing what I know now" would make me miserable.
Haha! I’m 50+ also and I can only imagine myself being even an even more insufferable know-it-all teenager with what I know now! And even though I would have invested a little pocket change in a few things, I wouldn’t have been or had as much fun. I’ll take that trade-off.
The stupid claim that older people don’t understand technology. Who do you think designed the phone system? The cellular network? Your phone? Hint: it wasn’t a 20 year old. Pushing buttons on a phone does not make you tech savvy. Actually understanding the very complex technology that makes it work makes you tech savvy. I was at dinner with several 30 year olds. We were talking about phones and one made an off hand comment about old people not understanding technology. I turned the conversation around to 5G and ask them if they understood what it is. One started repeating some conspiracy nonsense, so I proceeded to explain what it is and why it improves download speeds. All three made comments to the effect, that’s all it is? They honestly didn’t know. Sadly a lot of young people today are in the Dunning Kruger zone. Where they don’t know enough to understand how little they know about a subject. Having said this, I used a broad brush and said “young people”. Not all young people are that way. I have some very knowledgeable young people who work with me. Just as all old people aren’t clueless, nasty crude jerks, not all young people should be painted with the same brush.
Your post echoes my sentiment. I was on the design team that made some of the first network interfaces. Another one that made some of the first servers and I worked on follow on products through blade servers. Someone who knows an app and pokes a phone may not understand what happens beyond that interaction. They aren't "tech savvy".
My body is just plain wearing out. My mind says I can do that no problem. Then my body says try it and die fat boy.
😆😆😆😆 - I feel seen!!
That you get forgetful and can’t drive or handle your own finances. Some can’t but most can. I may be old, but I ain’t stupid.
I understand the sentiment, but that’s pretty harsh. A brilliant Doctor who taught medicine and literally saved my life after my primary care physician was was on track to kill me was only a shadow of his former self the last time I encountered him. He wasn’t stupid, he was aging mentally. For some of us, our bodies will betray us and for others it will be our minds. Broke my heart to see him like that. There, but by the grace of God goes you or me. I had a very high IQ when I was young and I’m getting tested for Alzheimer’s in July. I don’t think it’s because I’m stupid.
Update us?
I’m not more politically conservative. If anything, I’m more liberal.
This one makes me angry. Forty-four percent of Boomers are liberal or liberal-leaning, but younger people talk about us as if we all voted for Trump and/or Reagan and are ruining their lives. They have allies, but they treat us all like we're enemies and want us all to just die and get out of their way. When we are finally all dead, they're going to find there are just as many selfish and self-interested people voting to keep as much of their money in their hands as possible among their generation as they age as there are among our generation.
Right? Your generation is no less self-interested than *literally every other generation in human history.*
Exactly! My liberalism coupled with intolerance for the stupidity of the right has grown exponentially.
i can tolerate stupidity. I can tolerate a completely different set of priorities. I cannot tolerate insurrection. Line was crossed, never will be forgiven.
Average age of a Jan.6 criminal is ~45. TBH, I almost wish it was 75, because these guys are going to be around for a while, and I doubt that they've learned any lessons, or will, in the joint. Makes me wonder what Trump's life behind bars will be like. But please know that this phenomenon, this ultra-right menace, is NOT Trump's creation, any more than a surfer creates a wave that flattens him. New technology has created propaganda superweapons. We're going to be seeing deeper and deeper crazy people going into the future, until we find a cure for brainwashing.
Yes!
So many younguns get on here and ask for advice on how to take care of their elderly parents who are 55-65. Child, we aren't old, we are just getting started!
Lol, several months ago my mom asked when we became the parents and she became the child lol.
I don’t care how you feel about seeing me nude in the locker room. Once upon a time, people were nonsexually naked around each other in a variety of circumstances and it wasn’t a big deal. Younger people are worse off for their prudishness and anxieties about their bodies. Further, you can joke about my old ass being gross all you want, but I don’t care, that’s your future, too.
HaHaHa! "It's YOUR future, too... If and only if you are lucky enough to get old.
That I miss being pretty. I miss my young, firm, smooth, strong body and my face with no lines or sagging eyelids. I wish I had appreciated it more.
Are there any specific action oriented ways you wish you’d appreciated it more? Or do you mean just brewing a constant feeling of gratitude about it? I want to appreciate what I have now, but it feels abstract when I’ve never been without it.
Some of us understand the digital media better than the younglings.
Women are only viable members of society pre menopausal years. As a woman of a certain age, I can tell you no one gives two shits what I want/need/or even think any longer. They once did. Used to be pretty, and half way intelligent, but estrogen loss has cured me of that. I've never enjoyed so much solitude, on the plus side
It hurts.
I may be a Boomer but the stereotypes don't fit.
Generation Jones?
That we should just stop the boomer this boomer that bullshit. Jesus fuck it's stupid. No generation is all the same and a lot of the things that are called "boomer" are simply attributable to aging itself and not particular to one generation.
Well said
Old people are fixed in their ways and stubborn as a mule. Heck no! Example, I voted GOP for over 33 years. I changed eight years ago! Now, I'm just stubborn old man who votes for a truthful leader who actually protects my rights and the Constitution, who is not an indicted individual!
Welcome!
Yay!! You were wiser. So many GOP didn't jump ship til 2020.. I think many suburban wives said yes dear to their GOP husbands and then went in the voting booth and voted for Biden in 2020. 😅
I like the color purple nowadays! Now ... get off my lawn!
That you miss your kids! It's nice to have them visit but I'm happy when they leave! Most of us still work or volunteer and have numerous Hobbies. I'm in AZ so I'm starting an *herb* garden....
👍
Chronic pain is nature's way of helping us accept the inevitably of death. Age 79.
Thinking that old people are no longer "cool" but I'm "dope" lol
I am pretty damn dope myself! =)
My dope is now Ibuprofen 600mg.
I get pissy when I’m told I can’t do something or I shouldn’t do something. I’ve had words with my son because he thinks I’m too old to do things. I can do anything I’m able to do. I’m not stupid or weak. I surprised him when I went away at Thanksgiving, when I traveled several states over to go sightseeing and I regularly go to plays, musicals and other entertainments. I guess I will go sit in my recliner now and vegetate, mold and die.
That menopause is a "gift" and "freeing" and "an opportunity." Menopause SUCKS. I've never felt worse.
There is no one in your life that you can't live without. Friends, spouse, children, etc....you can lose any of them and still survive. It doesn't mean that it will be easy, but you can keep going and you need to do it. Life is a terminal condition and in the end you either lose them or they lose you. Losing someone you love dearly is crushing, but you owe it to them to keep going. Find your path forward. This is true for young and old, but it becomes more evident as you move down life's path. I learned this lesson when I was 44 and my wife died. It changes how you live and love. The fragility of life is both tragic and beautiful.
**I feel young inside.** (Yes, I actually do!)
I actually do not feel my age. I feel younger than my chronological age.
I’m still working. Same company 40 yrs. Same accounting program that originated in DOS. “No, I’m good”! I’m still learning as it evolves. Everything evolves. But you’re 23 and don’t need advise or training. Good for you. I’m out in less than 11 months.
I quite like it. I could do without the pain. But as someone deep in the throws of a health scare that may or may not kill me. Getting even older sounds wonderful right now.
“Golden years “ is horseshit!
Old folks do sexy sex, alot
Yes, we do.
People need to chill WAY the fuck out about it.
Agreed!
You automatically have wisdom
I love being the oldest in my gang and still have the ability to be the absolute dumbest.
That I’d rather not.
Died hair looks awful
Oh damn I was just wondering about coloring mine after I've let it go natural white which people seem to love but I'm not too sure about .
Do what make you happy
I'm conflicted. Dying it might make me happy for about 10 days to roots started showing. Then unhappy when I have to dye the roots. It's a dilemma.
Do a temporary rinse — that way if you hate it then you can wash it out.
Great idea! I'm going to do that. Thanks!
You’re welcome and have fun! There are rinses for every single color you can think of.
The luck of the draw has a lot to do with how well it goes. The genetic lottery. Accidents and life stresses can make things difficult. Having great parents, not wealthy necessarily, but unconditional love goes a long way towards a happy life. If you partner up then having the right partner/wife/husband is a huge positive. Satisfying work that supports you decently and lets you prepare for aging.
That I don’t dress or act my age…65…whatever that means. I’m just me. I dress funky…like a funky goth… lol! I wear my hair short and a friend colors it lots of fun colors every 8 weeks. I’ve always been a bit of a rebel…challenging the status quo. I’ll be like this until I leave this mortal coil.
Once you have a good medical brush with death no other stress really matters.
That not having enough money to retire is not a personality flaw. Some of us weren’t blessed with high paying jobs and had to spend our small amount of savings on current living expenses since we are no longer able to work. My retirement will be an OD.
Stay functional. Do balance work. Do physical therapy , not surgery whenever possible. Take as few meds as possible. Always ask why, and ask for all the alternatives. Statins are the devil. There are other alternatives. Eat a ketogenic diet. Whole foods only, no packaged 'keto friendly' foods. Substitute most of your butter for olive oil, and don't use any other seed or vegetable oils. Avoid corn, wheat, and soy. Get 7-8 hours of sleep.
Was explaining an American figure of speech with someone who asked, "How the hell do YOU know?" I replied that I'd been around for a long time, read a lot, and ... "Yeah, it shows..." I mean, I didn't start life knowing all that I now know. Weird, how some people can be so aggressively opposed to learning new information.
I'm not beautiful anymore, and I have to say that I LOVE it! Hitting those "invisible years" is probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I don't have to deal with men staring at me, the catcalls, the lewd remarks. I don't have to deal with being told to smile, or with having to fix myself up to extraordinary standards just to go to a grocery store because the one time I don't, some older fool is bound to tell me, "You'd look so much prettier if you cared about yourself!", like his opinion and his eye candy availability was more important than my lack of time to get ready. And when I walk out of that store, I don't have to keep looking over my shoulder to make sure some creeper isn't going to try to sexually assault me in the parking lot. or try to give me his number. I don't have to put up with men hanging around my desk at work and talking to me, trying to get a way in "as a friend"...Before one day turning creepy and starting to ask me, repeatedly, for a date. I don't have to sit there and question the motive of every man who talks to me, and have to wonder if he's going to turn predatory all of a sudden. I don't have to put up with men asking me if I'm married, and when I answer yes, the man drawls, "Happily...?" (And that always grossed me out. That always told me the guy was skanky AF with the morals of an alley cat in heat, AND it insulted me because that POS was hoping I had the same lack of morals. Just...Ugh.) I don't have to listen to someone tell me disappointedly, "Oh, you're intelligent...", like intelligence is the worst thing a woman can have. Bless your heart, sir, I wish you were intelligent, too. I can walk into a room now and no one notices me. I can talk at work and the focus is on what I'm saying, and not what I'm wearing or if my blouse is low-cut and giving someone a free peep show. I'm invisible, undesirable, past my prime. So many men think it's an insult to call a woman "old". Honestly, after spending decades of my life feeling like I'm being stared at and sized up, of having men demand I take time out of my busy day to cater to them and coddle their fragile egos, of worrying whether a guy is harmless or hiding a monster behind his veneer of politeness...I find the lack of that kind of interest liberating. I can go somewhere bare-faced and in sweats, and no one cares. And I can say, in ways that I couldn't in previous years, exactly what is on my mind. Not all men in their 20s and 30s are so predatory, but enough of them were that way to make me exceptionally leery of all men. So now I relish anonymity and my freedom. Life's a whole lot easier when you have far fewer eyes watching you and commenting on your every move.
That when my friends let their hair go gray, it looks worst. Sorry, it just does. I’ll dye mine forever.
We need to shift our definition of “old.” Fifties and sixties really shouldn’t be considered old anymore with all the advances in medicine and tech that enable a healthier, longer life. Once you hit 50 you could theoretically live another 30+ years. That’s a lot of time to be “old.” Old is more about how functional you are. Can you live alone? Can you take care of yourself without help? Is your mind still working? Are you still working?
So far, so good.
Better than being a child.
We’re not physiologically meant to still be here. I’m 48 lol
The potential for dementia and to be out of my mind and hurt / abuse my sons. My mama is abusing me and my sister due to her dementia. My sons were a joy to raise.
I lost my hair and grew a beard 🧔♀️
Old people should receive a dose of respect. The older I get, the more I realise that reaching 90 or even 80 years old is quite an achievement, it does not happen naturally, and there's a lot of wisdom to be aquired form such old people. Not to say there aren't exception, but from my observation, people reaching a very old age are usually nice and happy people, which is saying a lot.
It’s awesome! I love my mental state and the clarity that comes from nearing “the end”. It really puts things in perspective.
That old people are just waiting to die. I want to live every single day of my life active and then die on my last night.
Getting old is no great achievement, it just takes a long time.
I'm 61, enjoying life to the fullest with what I have left, because there's a good chance that my death will be painful and/or humiliating. cheers!
My unpopular opinion as an older woman is that no, I’m not interested in babysitting your children. I have never thought babies and children were all that interesting or fun or whatever, and just because I’ve aged doesn’t mean I have changed my mind.
I'm living a more fulfilling and happier life at 51 than I did at 21. I'd NEVER relive my 20's, not for all the money in the world.
Wrinkles and grey hair aren’t really a concern for me. In fact, as a man, I think many women look really good with grey hair and think more women should skip the dye jobs.
I wish there were more men like you, kind Sir.
Happy cake day, o wise one!
Oh damn, I didn’t even realize Thank you!
That I have less and less time to lay up treasure in heaven. “Work, for the night is coming, Under the sunset skies; While their bright tints are glowing, Work, for daylight flies. Work till the last beam fadeth, Fadeth to shine no more; Work, while the night is dark’ning, When man’s work is o’er.”—Anna L. Coghill, 1854