When you suddenly feel old —

[jerkules]

Good thread! I’m 38 this year, have definitely noticed changes to how I feel creeping in. I cannot drink copious amounts of booze without paying for it to the point that it rarely seems worth it. A full sugar coke will leave me feeling nauseous now, while I I used to down energy drinks like water in my early twenties .
In other ways I still feel surprised that I’m approaching 40. I still couldn’t give a shit about work despite having a decent job with a reasonably high salary. While other people my age are planning the next career move, I’m more interested in what music I’m listening to, what I’m gonna eat for lunch, or what book to read next. Sometimes I worry that I’m letting opportunities, and therefore life, pass me by. But we’ll all by pushing up daisies at some point, might as well try to extract some humble pleasure or joy from day-to-day existence rather than chase the next thing.

[goosehd]

@jerkules I think you touch on a good point. Everyone is so concerned with climbing up the ladder, competing with the neighbours, and trying to out selfie each other, that no one is truly enjoying day to day life.

Enjoy what you have to the fullest and I think you’ll experience true happiness.

[Matt]

Pros:

Don’t give any shits
Salt/pepper George Clooney hair
Financial stability
Life experience
Pending death

Cons:
Full body pain
Constant peeing
Extra neck skin
Male pattern baldness
Hair growth in new places (ears, nose, back etc.)
Pending death

[Matt]

I’d be bummed about getting old but as I’ve previously noted, I can’t be bothered to give a shit.

[goosehd]

@Matt Holy fuck…keep this up and you’re going to give the great Greek philosophers a run for their money.

[Mizmazzle]

When you start referring to anyone doing something new or odd as a “hipster” you have obtained oldness.

[goosehd]

Previous generations used to call it “wet behind the ears” or “fucking kids”.

[steelworker]

When I showed my kids how a rotary dial phone works they laughed their asses off

[steelworker]

@goosehd said in When you suddenly feel old —:

@Matt Holy fuck…keep this up and you’re going to give the great Greek philosophers a run for their money.
Careful @goosehd he may be a nihilist. It aint only a river in Egypt

[seawolf]

I'm in an undergrad program so I'm around college aged people all the time, and I definitely relate more to the professors

I understand that a lot of students think I'm old, and some of the faculty (and students) have wrongly assumed that I'm a professor. To be honest with you, I actually love where I'm at with my age (43). I'm old enough to have a lot of experience, but young enough to still feel relatively young. Despite the fact that I have a chronic illness that mostly affects men much older than me, I still do a lot and feel pretty good!

[endo]

@Matt said in When you suddenly feel old —:

Hair growth in new places (ears, nose, back etc.)

that's the real scourge of humanity

[goosehd]

@steelworker Nothing better than getting most of the way through a telephone number and your finger slipping on the dial…immediate start over

[Tago Mago]

@FlavourFade you can say you to me

[Tago Mago]

@goosehd a sentiment that Plato also lays out in „the republic“. Speaking of Greek philosophers

[FlavourFade]

@T4920 the peeing really increases from 30 also the stiffness but I stretch a lot that helps

@jerkules the career thing was very important in my mid 20s for me but now I work for three years in a job that I would not have imagined back then and am as happy as I could be and don't think about switching, I even make a little less money than I did at my last job but also less headache

[injunjack]

This pretty sums up my view about this subject.
I'm 60, still riding Choppers, messing with cars, gals (my wife ) and booze. Life will slow you down a bit but more active you are, happier and healthier you'll be. Don't ever stop. Train karate, go to gym, go to see gigs and dance like nobodys watching you, and most of all don't give a fuck.
That's actually almost the best part being in the last quarter of your life. Not giving a fuck. If you have done so in earlier life, after fifty you usually start not to.
I think the best part of getting old is to see that your kids get along in life and to see grandkids grow up. Small things make me happy.

[endo]

well said @injunjack

[Giles]

I am convinced that getting old is a state of mind. My grandfather got old at 50, as he was expected to, my father got old in his early 60's and basically stopped doing shit. Paula is with him in Greece at the moment and I am happy to report that he is actually walking every morning. (the irony is that I can't be there because I just had a hip replacement )

I feel blessed that for the last 20 years I have been surrounded by people younger than myself, you lot and my fishing mates, and I think that that has kept my outlook younger than my years. Yes, I'm a bit less nimble and flexible than I was, but I don't feel old (except when we go for dinner with local friends of my own age or older, and all the silly old fuckers talk about is health, I've had to ban the topic, as it does no one involved any good). I accepted an invitation to a family party recently on the proviso that any health shit was got out of the way by email beforehand).

I was invited to Nicaragua fishing recently by a couple of mates in their late 20's early 30's, I was immeasurably honoured for them to consider me as a fun companion.

Think young, and guess what.....

[injunjack]

@Giles said in When you suddenly feel old —:

I am convinced that getting old is a state of mind.
......
Think young, and guess what.....

This.

[IrishHeart]

When I was working I had to deal with people that I wouldn’t otherwise cross the road to speak to. I retired early as I didn’t want my last day to be a working day, and vowed not to spend any more of my time with with people I didn’t like, weren’t fun or interesting.

I can highly recommend it ( although ironically my wife thinks I can be a grumpy git when I refuse invites from people who dont tick those boxes).