Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Travelassie, I was not interpreting anything. I was stating what he has said in the past in this forum about his life being over if he can no longer climb stairs in, for example, theaters and if he can no longer use ladders to paint.
Last edited by matisse12; 11-20-2017 at 01:49 PM..
But what has really changed? You can still shave, drive to the theater, and enjoy the performance!!
The best part about approaching middle age, I'm only 69, is I no longer give a damn what anyone thinks. I don't care.
I dress to be comfortable and I could care less what anyone thinks.
If I forget to zip up I don't care anymore. So?
As for employment I am at the KMA stage which stands for Kiss My A** stage of an employee because I don't care what anyone thinks I just want to do the job I have always done.
The best part about approaching middle age, I'm only 69, is I no longer give a damn what anyone thinks. I don't care.
My 80 yr old father has gotten like this and can be a miserable SOB to be around and it really has affected most of his relatives and his wife's view of him. I know the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, but I hope to hell that I don't treat people badly because "I no longer give a damn what anyone thinks". He probably was like this all his life, but now less filtered. BTW, 69 isn't middle age. According to the Oxford English Dictionary middle age is between 45 and 65.
First, I believe my thread title was indeed insensitive, considering that at all times there are people facing the rather imminent and literal (as opposed to figurative) end of their lives.
Second, Matisse12 is correct that the thought of and fear of disability is a theme of mine. For me, certain things (such as having to give up driving, for example) would be like the end of my life as I have known it for a very long time, and would thus represent a figurative end of things. That doesn't mean that certain pleasures wouldn't remain, but it does mean that I have a very hard time imagining my life without certain abilities, driving among them. I have always prided myself on my competence and my independence on multiple levels.
Third, yes, I was venting, which I believe I stated in my OP. I was saying, to sum up, that certain changes of aging come as a difficult shock.
Fourth, I am aware enough to realize that there is much worse than what I complained about in the OP. Hell, an uncle of mine was in a car accident when he was in his 40's and he never walked again - was in a wheelchair the rest of his life. I didn't really think a disclaimer of this nature was required, but I am happy to add it, and to add my thankfulness that I have not (yet) suffered something similar.
I am glad that a number of posters understood exactly what I was getting at, and I appreciate their common sense approach to understanding my original post. Still, I really don't mind clarifying.
ER, to me, you were Not being insensitive, just waking up to reality ! For me, I was always the youngest. Surprised I am now the matriarch of the family !
My own husband was disabled at age 40, bless to have him for another 25 years. Seasoned citizen, I recently heard and I like that term---like a fine wine or for me aged cheese ! WE are only getting better !
I read your OP with a wry and sympathetic smile, Escort Rider. It's former classmates who tend to burst my comfortable bubble of denial. I run into someone I haven't seen for fifteen, twenty years and my first thought is, Good grief. Does he ever look old!
I've heard it said that absolute truth is so burdensome that even the most psychologically healthy of us benefit from a little denial. This may be one of those cases. As long as we feel so well we forget our chronological age we must be fortunate.
My 80 yr old father has gotten like this and can be a miserable SOB to be around and it really has affected most of his relatives and his wife's view of him. I know the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, but I hope to hell that I don't treat people badly because "I no longer give a damn what anyone thinks". He probably was like this all his life, but now less filtered. BTW, 69 isn't middle age. According to the Oxford English Dictionary middle age is between 45 and 65.
I am still a young man. Yes I am. You can be old if you wanna be but I don't want to be.
I really do care what people think but to be honest the only thing I don't care about is how I dress. I dress to be totally comfortable and at work I even have a pair of comfortable, cushioned bathroom slippers under my desk. I'll slip my shoes off and......
Age 73. This morning I phoned a local theatre box office to purchase a ticket. The lady said, "One senior?" I said, "How did you know I am a senior?" She said, "Oh, you just sounded like a senior".
I was stunned, but I recovered quickly and purchased my ticket for the live performance.
I really don't want to be an "old" person. This morning was the first time I've received objective confirmation from another disinterested party that I am an old person.
Perhaps I've been living in denial? My beard has been white for over a decade, but I remain clean-shaven so I can ignore that piece of evidence. I can still jog, although not for very long - maybe ten minutes before I have to slow to a brisk walk. Pathetic, but I guess I've been ignoring that piece of evidence too. I have no trouble driving at night, or in any circumstance of traffic conditions and/or unfamiliar surroundings. So I'm still O.K. in the driving department.
This really sucks big time. I'm still thinking it over. Perhaps I need to visit an ENT doc to see if anything fixable is wrong with my voice? Denial is a powerful force, and the effect is powerful when something irrefutable breaks forcefully through the denial.
I don't know, really, what I expect anyone to say in response to my post. Perhaps there will not be any responses, and that's O.K. Maybe I just needed to vent my grief. I am not the first person to simply vent. As far as I know, venting per se is not against the TOS.
I was at Wendy's one day just an hour before the movie "CloverField" was to start. Burger, fries and frosty. Girl looked at my beard then I saw "SR discnt $1.88" I didn't say anything, but if she had asked, I'd have said "I'm 48, not 65"....Ah well. good burger, lousy movie though..... I use yellow tinted for night driving at times. Helpful for some of us....
very sorry about your predicament with your illness, MadManofBethesda, and hoping you have a substantial and well life ahead, and many enjoyments to come
Quote:
Originally Posted by NYgal1542
I'm sorry to say I didn't think of this before. It's true. Being glib about end of life while we are still living a good, healthy life has to be hard to take if you are struggling to get to the next day.
I admire you MMoB. You show great courage and keep a positive attitude. I wish you better health and longer life.
I realize that the OP was just trying to be cute and/or funny with the tongue-in-cheek title to his thread, but it is sort of insulting to those of us who are facing the very real possibility that are lives may truly be over soon.
Your situation is quite different, good luck and good health to you, medical technology moves forward all the time. Here's hoping the next breakthrough will be one that helps you!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
