There have been many lighthearted comments here about getting senior discounts, but I recently found myself thinking about old age because there have also been a number of comments about members planning to move to a Continuing Care Retirement Community at an age I consider too young for that.
I had the same feeling about five years ago, so I made the effort to go visit a couple of CCRCs that looked good to me (on paper). I spent two nights at both of them, and left wondering why I had ever thought that way. All the residents seemed “old” to me, meaning relatively frail and lacking energy.
Don’t get me wrong; I still think planning a move to a CCRC is probably wise. I just feel I’m nowhere near ready for it yet.
So the question is when do you become “old”? What I’d like to know is do you have some kind of mental trigger point that says “When I’m __________, I’ll be old.”
A recent Pew Research Center study had some very interesting results:
Another British study found most defined it as “almost 70”.
Europeans on average said old age began at 62.
At 68, I still run 15-20 miles a week, and participate in at least two half-marathons a year. I’m only in the middle of the pack for my age group, but I still enjoy it. I go fly-fishing, hiking, camping, and kayaking, all of which require a fair amount of energy.
So I think of myself as getting old, but not yet old.
I had the same feeling about five years ago, so I made the effort to go visit a couple of CCRCs that looked good to me (on paper). I spent two nights at both of them, and left wondering why I had ever thought that way. All the residents seemed “old” to me, meaning relatively frail and lacking energy.
Don’t get me wrong; I still think planning a move to a CCRC is probably wise. I just feel I’m nowhere near ready for it yet.
So the question is when do you become “old”? What I’d like to know is do you have some kind of mental trigger point that says “When I’m __________, I’ll be old.”
A recent Pew Research Center study had some very interesting results:
- Those under 30 said old age begins at 60, but those over 65 said 74.
- Of those 65-74, only 21% said they feel old. Of those over 75, just 35% felt old.
Another British study found most defined it as “almost 70”.
Europeans on average said old age began at 62.
At 68, I still run 15-20 miles a week, and participate in at least two half-marathons a year. I’m only in the middle of the pack for my age group, but I still enjoy it. I go fly-fishing, hiking, camping, and kayaking, all of which require a fair amount of energy.
So I think of myself as getting old, but not yet old.