When you suddenly feel old —
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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. -
well said @injunjack
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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.....
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@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.
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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).
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Im feeling it when my son plays with Lego sets from the 1980s that were mine
and then I look up what they are worth and wonder why my parents didn’t keep the boxes damn
I’m 43 almost 44 but feel young in some ways as really didn’t start real life until I was in my 30’s after moving countries when I was in the uk I did school uni then jobs but never with anything serious, it was only when I went to OZ for a holiday then stayed and got married and had a kid in my late 30’s that I think I was starting my adult life
I feel old doing the school drop off when 90% of the other parents are in their late 20’s early 30’s
Old man rant over -
@IrishHeart That’s not being a grumpy git, that’s managing your time wisely!!
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@injunjack dude fuck yea. I'm with you. We're all just kids in aging bodies. I still cant wait to bail from work and get into some fun. I sit in meetings and look around at all the people taking themselves too seriously, and all I see is the kid they were when they were 8 and how they'd laugh at what they've become. Not to judge others, but to give myself some perspective to work with. I think we all kinda fake-it-till-ya-make-it to some degree. We get in to character to 'succeed', but some people get stuck in that role and forget to turn it off and play.
I agree with Giles that it's a state of mind. It's almost a choice to stop having fun, but that's the most important thing.
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We had a 40th birthday party for a friend at this food hall that is definitely a meat market for people in their 20s (we wanted to host at a posh cocktail bar but were overridden). It’s a first come first served seating situation. We were holding a block of seats for our crew and some young ladies came by and asked if seats were taken. We said they were and as they left they saw some of the 40th birthday paraphernalia and one of them scoffed “40?! shudder” to the other.
Didn’t make me feel old (I’m closer to 50) but it did make me feel right about the cocktail bar being the appropriate venue. And I did give my wife and me a good chuckle.
You should be so lucky, ladies, to be celebrating your own 40th in a couple decades.
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@mclaincausey "you should be so lucky..." damn right. one day.
This also reminds me of the moment in Lucky Number Slevin:
Nick:
There was a time?Smith:
Mm-hmm. Take Brown Sugar back there, for example. [indicates elderly woman] She's pretty f***ing foxy, right?Nick:
[pause] She's seventy.Smith:
If she's a day. But there was a time. -
This show, Still Game, is one of my all-time favorites, and makes me look forward to those days in the future -- should I be so lucky to get them --
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@Giles I’ve had the same realization lately and have, for lack of a better phrase, opted out of the relationships with people I don’t have anything in common with. Being friends with some of them was actually a negative experience, but for some reason I felt some obligation to keep it going.
When I was young, I loved having as many friends as possible. Now I really appreciate having a core crew of friends I really love and trust. Hollow relationships? Ain’t nobody got time for that.
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@popvulture reminds me of this new song by a favorite artist of mine
And
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@popvulture as an introvert, that resonates with me. I’m certainly sociable and have plenty of friends, but socializing, while entertaining, is also draining, and I need my solitude (which can include my wife, dog, and kid). I don’t reach out even to close friends too often but we pick up where we left off when we get together. I think they know me well enough to understand I’m not someone to pick up the phone and talk; we will chat when we see each other. And the acquaintances that aren’t of interest just kind of take care of themselves since I don’t engage. I have zero tolerance for manufactured drama (and plenty of sympathy/empathy, patience, compassion, and desire to help when there is a legitimate mess), and that probably the fastest way to exit my friend zone. I got my own shit to deal with
and I’ve been this “old” curmudgeon since I was young. -
@mclaincausey I totally feel you on all of that, especially the draining bit (god I need a recharge SO badly after social things) and the friendships that pick up where they last left off. Regarding the latter, that's the basis of all my closest friendships; nobody gets pissy if the other doesn't call, and when we see each other it's easy-peasy. I also have zero room for drama. Gettin' too old for that shit!
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@jfk1117 I'm not familiar, will check it out!
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@popvulture totally understand that... I always played the extrovert when I was younger and tried to be the life of every party until I found out it was all an excuse to not deal with my fears... Now I hang out with the same guys and girls like back in school, know most of them for 20 years and are not interested in expanding this circle of 10 people I really care about. I'm good with people and always find something to talk about with most of them but it's exhausting.
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@mclaincausey man, I’m a total introvert myself. I’ve actually been through therapy trying to figure out why I’m so damn cranky sometimes. Being an introvert isn’t necessarily about being a wallflower in social situations. It’s about the amount of recovery time one needs after exhausting themselves socially, exactly as you mentioned.
The challenge for me is how much energy my job takes from me daily. Teaching is like a nonstop performance all day long. Empathically taking on the energy and emotions of every student and giving them my own energy to help them through their challenges. When I get home my gas tank is on empty everyday. It leaves very little patience for dealing with domestic frustrations and communication break downs. I’ve spent all that at work.
I need to have alone time for the first hour or so when I get home. Usually taking Carl to the park to walk around and get some fresh air and exercise.
The older I get I’m finding I have less to give my students. Which is why I know I’ve made the right choice to move into a new role next year. For the sake of my students and my own family.
In the easy chair with my boots on, melted whiskey in my hand. Could'na been asleep for more than three hours...time to go to work again...
