A few weeks ago Blogher mentioned that this day’s comment is “what is old:, so I began writing my thoughts on the subject. Like so many others posts, though, I never got around to finishing it until today.
What is old? This thought enters my mind from time to time. When I was a teenager, I remember thinking that 30 is definitely “old”. In my 30’s, it had moved to 40. When I reached 40, I decided that 60 is “old”.
Well, now I’m 60; and I’m surprised because I don’t feel “old” at all. My mind says that I’m 60, but my body doesn’t feel that way. I’ve had friends who said their body feels 60, but not their mind. I think “old age” will be when I’m in my 80s.
My Uncle’s 90th Birthday Party. I was in my 50s, Chuck was in his 60s, our daughter and her husband were in their late 20s and their baby was not quite one.
I guess you can tell that as I age it has become a moving target.
There’s more! What about all this talk about 40s being the new 30s and 50s being the new 40s. To me it sounds like all of us age-obsessed baby boomers are trying to square it all away in our delusional-collective minds.
Let’s face it, we all look better from a distance in diffused lighting. I love these digital cameras and the bookoodles of pictures that we can take. If I don’t like the way I look, I delete it. I can decide to throw out any photo that makes me look older, but I digress.
I know when I got to be 40, I thought surely this cannot be middle age; and not too long ago I questioned whether middle age ended at 50 or should the senior years begin at the end of our 60s.
Four Generations
Chuck lost a colleague of his own generation last week. They worked together when both of them were in their youthful 30s. Yesterday we went to the viewing, and we happened to be the only two people in the room.
I stood back and watched Chuck look down on his friend’s closed coffin. The sunlight from a window above cast an ethereal ray on Chuck. He looked so forlorn, standing there, silently gazing and lost in his thoughts. I wondered if he were remembering their youthful moments during those days now so far away in time.
I noticed lately that Chuck’s jackets are looking too big on him. He is losing muscle mass. He looked so small standing there. I teared up. It was touching.
I have no idea what was really running through his mind, but I could imagine. Here he is about to retire, and this friend has moved on from this earthly place and moment in time. It must have suddenly hit him that this is yet another milestone–in a series of milestones.
I am also sixty and do not feel it but the mirror doesn’t lie although the lighting sometimes flatters.
Recently, an older man has been walking extensively throughout my side of town. Passing him one day, I commented to my wife, “Look there’s the old man I was telling you about – the one who walks so much.” Then I thought, “For all I know, the man may be my age. I’m sure I look ancient to younger people.”
The other day I was thinking about my grandfather. He died not much older than I am now but I remember him as seeming much older. Perhaps his body had more wear and tear than mine or maybe I’m delusional.
I’ve done that with others; thought they were older when they’re the same age as I am. Also, lately it is hard to find a picture where I don’t look old. When I would remark that I was getting old, my mother-in-law used to say, “you haven’t seen nothing yet.” She lived to be 91.
Thank you so much for the comment and for reading my blog.
My pleasure.
Hi there this is kinda of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding experience so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I learned everything from WordPress. My advice is to start simple.