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Coming out of the workforce, I realize I am resisting the new label "old". Any one else have or having that experience?
What is your age or age group? (optional)
A - 50-54 B - 55-59 C - 60-64 D - 65-69
E - 70-74 F - 75- 79 G - 80+
Yes - I am comfortable being called "old".
If yes, when were you first called "old". Did you have any initial resistance to being called old?
What made it easy for you to accept this label?
No - I am not comfortable being called "old".
If no, when were you first labeled "old"? What makes this label difficult to accept?
When do you think you will be "old"?
Coming out of the workforce, I realize I am resisting the new label "old". Any one else have or having that experience?
What is your age or age group? (optional)
A - 50-54 B - 55-59 C - 60-64 D - 65-69
E - 70-74 F - 75- 79 G - 80+
Yes - I am comfortable being called "old".
If yes, when were you first called "old". Did you have any initial resistance to being called old?
What made it easy for you to accept this label?
No - I am not comfortable being called "old".
If no, when were you first labeled "old"? What makes this label difficult to accept?
When do you think you will be "old"?
I'd rather be labeled old than being labeled dead.
I'm 51, and it depends who it is calling me old! I have to admit I still find it odd, as I don't feel old.
One reason I like working in nursing homes is that someone is always there to argue with me when I complain I'm getting old: "oh, you have a long way to go, you're still a baby yet!"
Chronologically I am 52 years, physically today I feel like I am about 167 years. Some days are better than others. Either way I'm not old I'm just tired.......well actually comparatively I am old so what, it is a number.
I always knew I would get old -- well, always hoped I would get old and, for most of it, be in fairly good health, and so far, that has happened) and I AM old. There is a large part of me that is proud to be old and grateful to be old. A lot of people, through sickness and accident and violence, don't live to be as old I am (64). And I have, so far, really loved my 60s. I have a confidence and inner peace I never had before. Also, as I grow old, I don't care about what other people think of me. And I love my grey hair which is streaked with silver.
Conversely, I wasn't prepared for my body to betray me. I don't have as much energy as I used to have. I have a few aches and pains I didn't have before (although, thanks to the doctor I am currently seeing, I'm not in any real pain at all, and I don't take pain meds). I don't like the fact that my skin is losing its firmness, especially in my face, but it's not that big a deal.
I wasn't prepared for becoming invisible, especially to most men, but then that started when I was about 55-57. On the other hand, I've always had men friends.
Yes, I hate it when young people treat me like I'm 'slow' and/or demented simply because I'm an older woman. But that doesn't happen to me very often. At least not to my face.
If I had heart disease or MS or advanced COPD or chronic insomnia -- if I were in bad health -- I probably wouldn't like being old. But I absolutely know: I would not be 20 or 30 or 40 again forANYTHING. I had a good life but nothing quite this good (well, except all the traveling I was fortunate to do when I was young). Life started getting really good for me in my late 40s, and it's just continued to get better and better.
If I become very sick or incapacitated (which is going to happen unless I die in an accident or of a heart attack in the middle of the night or of some violence) -- oh, and if I still had to work -- I am pretty sure I wouldn't be this happy in my old age. In the meantime, 60 is NOT the new 40. 64 is old. And, for the most part, I love it, and I'm grateful for it.
Last edited by Fran66; 06-11-2013 at 04:51 PM..
Reason: spelling error
Well, the way I see it is . . . I can't hide the fact that I qualify for AARP any longer. Yes, I can probably keep folks guessing within 8-10 years what my actual age is -- at least for another decade. But so what?
Once you look like you are over 55 or so, it really doesn't matter how you feel about it. IT JUST IS!!!
Sure, just keep those senior discounts coming. You can even call me gramps, geezer, or ancient if you take another 10% off.
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