Getting Old

Found on Quora this morning

This is too good not to share. I asked a friend who has crossed 70 & is heading towards 80 what sort of changes he is feeling in himself? He sent me the following:

1. After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children and my friends, I have now started loving myself.

2. I have realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders.

3. I have stopped bargaining with vegetable & fruit vendors. A few pennies more is not going to break me, but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees.

4. I leave my waitress a big tip. The extra money might bring a smile to her face. She is toiling much harder for a living than I am.

5. I stopped telling the elderly that they've already told that story many times. The story makes them walk down memory lane & relive their past.

6. I have learned not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.

7. I give compliments freely & generously. Compliments are a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me. And a small tip for the recipient of a compliment, never, NEVER turn it down, just say "Thank You.”

8. I have learned not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances.

9. I walk away from people who don't value me. They might not know my worth, but I do.

10. I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the rat race. I am not a rat andneither am I in any race.

11. I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. It’s my emotions that make me human.

12. I have learned that it's better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships, I will never be alone.

13. I have learned to live each day as if it's the last. After all, it might be the last.

14. I am doing what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself. Happiness is a choice. You can be happy at any time, just choose to be!

I decided to share this for all my friends. Why do we have to wait to be 60 or 70 or 80, why can't we practice this at any stage and age?

Dave’s thoughts on this

I am nearly 69 and most of the above is true. I am expecting two new grand children this year, a boy and a girl, and for the first time I am looking forward to it.

I may never see them but I have FaceTime so they won’t be strangers.

Enjoy what you do, it is hard to go back and do it again.

Great.

Somethings to aspire to.

JA

Too true

Roy

Good stuff from Dave.

I'm watching my personal ageing process with interest, and had my first fall on Saturday due to not paying attention. Fortunately on grass rather than concrete! Also, I landed flat on my already broken nose, which folded neatly out of the way. Not serious, but could have been much worse. I was surprisingly shaken.

Anyone else found Statins cause excessive flatulence?

My plan to grow old disgracefully isn't going well. Health issues are getting in the way. Cancer is bad for morale, even in remission. Eyesight and concentration are slipping and I'm getting lazy. Started taking afternoon naps and am absent-minded. If I'm not careful, I'll soon be pottering in the workshop rather than making things. Though I do enjoy pottering...

Dave

PS The forum is a boon to this unhealthy pensioner.

PPS Thanks to Dave Clarke for playing a significant part in getting me into Model Engineering. He was editor when I first discovered MEW was so good I actually wanted to open my wallet!

The best bit is when you fall over and young girls rush in from all directions to help you back on your feet. Health workers treat me like an idiot and I love it, I make no effort to help and no effort is expected of me. We were stuck in the snow in the foot hills of the volcano Katla last week and I was chosen to drive because I was not built for pushing. I sat in the warm, successfully drove backwards 2 feet and became a hero. Why wasn't it always like this?

Getting old is a state of mind, I have seen and talked to people in there 60's who I would consider older than me (75 this year) because of their mind set. I know I am not 18 any more (thank God) but neither do I feel 74, I can outrun my grandchildren (for now). Yes! I have had my medical moments (Two lots of cancer, major operations etc), type 2 diabetic, worn glasses since I was 18 and currently going deaf, but I consider myself quite healthy. I have had all my flu and covid injections and still caught covid (I would not have known without a lateral flow test!).

I can pretty much do what I want when I want, My income is not large but enough to enjoy a reasonable life style and fund my many and varied hobbies.

Life can be challenging but one should always be up for it, as was said in "Monty Python" Always look on the bright side of life

My plan for old age is going well. I'm learning to be intolerant, grumpy, more insistent on it being my way and planning to build a large porch for a rocking chair and shotgun. "Howdy stranger".

pgk

Hi Silly Old Duffers and others.

I gad cancer over 6 years ago and various other illnesses. Still going strong and am reasonably healthy although I still get various illnesses.

I almost gave up at just over 60, lots of health problems that got me down a bIt and I was a bit depressed due to being in hospital.

Then an old man came into my ward. He was 95 and still very active. He made me realise I was still young and could easily live much longer so I set a new target to live to 150. Yes, I probably may not reach it but I have more chance of getting to 90 or even 100 than if I aim for 80 or even 90. Aim high, not low. You just might get a surprise.

Thank you Dave for your good words and thoughts, and for all you did for MEW.

Alan

Ok. I'm 78 and a lot. Three children, one single, 4 grandchildren - 2 boys early to mid-20's and 2 girls, one 15 and one 6. I doubt very much that I'll see the 6 year old get married. I might see the 15 year old get married, after all say another 5 years is possible. The older of the two boys is getting married next year so maybe there is a chance of a great grandchild - now that would be an event to celebrate, whilst the younger boy is looking, and saving, for a house for him & his girlfriend. And please don't tell me that marriage today is outdated, otherwise why is the elder grandson keen on it? (They've been living together for 2 years so it isn't the obvious reason!!!)

No. 6 is, I feel, a very important point, especially as before I adopted it, I used to get into trouble through it.

And a bit like Howi, I can afford to reasonably do what I want, and yes that includes pottering! But another thing, in a way I've stopped bothering about things - I do what I want to do.

SOD/Dave, (why are there so many Dave's around? Similarly, why so many Peter's) Anyway, where were we? Oh, yes, ok, statins. That's an interesting point. Although I've been on them for 6 years now and yes I do have intestinal or maybe bowel problems, but I actually put it down to the cancer drug I've been on for 2 1/2 years. So, dunno, but it's an interesting thought Dave. And by the way, you speak for yourself when you talk about unhealthy pensioners, even if it is true!

Naps, yes I do.

Falls. So far I've had two. One when I tripped up coming in via the backdoor up a couple of steps. Fortunately a relatively gentle rolling type fall. The second was altogether nastier, and I think the effects are still on-going 10 months later. I fell off my bicycle on holiday, fortunately on grass, but even so my lower back was very painfull. I'm no longer cycling, not that I was particularly keen, but falling off isn't an experience I wish to repeat.

There is one other thing about which I am extremely grateful. And that is that mental facilities appear relatively undiminished. What happened was that as a say 6 to 11 year old, I watched my maternal grandfather change from a fully functioning 65 year old adult, to a 70 year old who had to be told every little thing he had to do. Not a pleasant experience and one which has stayed with me over the next 70 years. I've also known two very clever people who have both deteriorated in a similar way and even my mother at age 85 had definite signs of memory loss - my father other than the results of a stroke or two, was mentally fine right up to his death aged 91.

So, keep on metal mangling, or in my case learning about the the origins of our families (genealogical research) and working out how to use a DOS based database under Linux when the existing interface programme doesn't work with the latest issue of my chosen Linux OS. In other words keepon truckin'.

Cheers everyone,

Peter G. Shaw

Hi Alan thank you for your kind words.

Hi Peter

I have 6 children, 4 boys and 2 girls. The two girls talk to me, 3 boys do not and one boy grunts occasionally when he is not killing people online.

My eldest boy must be about 44 or 45. Not seen him d in e he was 2. His new family have not seen him since he was about 18.

Another son must be 40 making my grand daughter (if she is my grand daughter) about 27 years oId. He was a right pain in the ass. He killed my father at about 51. My father wanted the family name, David Anthony Clark to continue and said then he could die happy. He died two weeks later without ever seeing him. At about 2 years old, he was in his push chair outside a charity shop (we were poor back then) being looked after by his older sister. He had disappeared. We looked around and in the next shop calling his name and eventually he came out from behind the counter of the toy shop next door. The owner was arrested about 2 hours later, He had a little girl cut up in bin bags underneath the counter.

When he was 13 he was a father, his girlfriend was 12, maybe just 13 when the baby was born. Nothing but trouble since the day he was born.

I may tell the real story about him to the press, I was gagged by a court order at the time.

I bought an electric scooter a few months ago, so I could accompany my wife on her morning jogs through the neighborhood.

She is battling cancer, and determined to stay fit, so she runs 3-4 miles, 6 days a week, and so far is holding her own during chemo.

So my next door neighbor, who is sort of a cratchety old woman in her 80's, saw me on the scooter, and said "What is WRONG with you; are you 8 years old or something"?

I thought about it, and said "Well yes, mentally I am pretty close to 8 years old".

I still have my trusty Honda CR500, and still rid it although I am in my mid 60's.

Age is just a number. I have to be very cautious with my knees, but other than that I can pretty much do whatever.

I really have no intent of slowing down.

I hope to die while running with scissors.

.

Edited By PatJ on 15/03/2022 12:09:33

Is anyone else getting fed up with all the funeral plans that keep appearing on TV? All happy smiling faces , pay up before you go.

Just passed 85 years now, 4 sons, 10 grandchldren to date plus 4 great grandchildren.

In June 2019 at 0300hrs waking up to severe pain in the back and left leg, 5 months later after MRI to be told it is a worn pad and facets of the two vertebrea are rubbing together! Trapped nerve in the left side.Painful all day and can only lay in certain positions.

Gives a physical balance problem, stairs are a pain up and down. Early on had a couple of falls backwards, turned wrong, lost balance, no damage. Worst was tripping over the dog and sliding on the right knee, 9 stitches and 11 months to heal.

Living alone housework is difficult, I cannot get down low, but upright fine, I cannot step with the left leg and my strength has gone out the window.

I have had to curtail my beekeeping, now only visit now and then, they are fine.

having been active all my life and joined the army at 14 till 40 sailed across the Atlantic and climbed mountains.

Hunted avidly. just for food. gardened flowers and veg. Can only stand for a while working in the workshops.

Machines idle now. I have so much gear!

getting old is when someone offers you their seat.

We must all realise "there's no future in getting old"

Robert Butler

Happened to me about twelve years ago and not since. I went to a pub about 8 miles away for lunch with a mate (died in 2016) and caught the school bus home, slightly drunk. A very kind six former gave me his seat.

There is hope for the future.

JA (age 75)

A young drunk is an object of fun. An old drunk is just sad.

Edited By JA on 15/03/2022 14:48:23

Edited By JA on 15/03/2022 14:49:15

I has a small incident recently that resulted in my wife calling the emergency services. Two crews turned up very quickly (something about buses comes to mind) and I was fussed over by three charming young ladies and a very smart guy who just stood back and let them get on with it. As a young man it just never occured to me that the best way to attract young ladies was to simply lie on the floor.

Regards,

IanT