How old are you?

[Sue J]

I'm 52. Turning 50 hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't believe it was really happening to ME. I wanted no party, no gifts, no cards from the old fogeys section. I just wallowed in denial for a while.

After that, 51 and 52 were a breeze.

 

[Goonie]

And just as an aside, no 70-80 in sight yet? Does that mean that they (like my parents) refuse to enter this brave new world called the Internet?

Heck no! My Mom is 80, and spends time surfing and emailing friends and family every day.....well, actually every night. She gets online about midnight for an hour or two, before she hits the pillows.

Most of her friends, who are also roughly her age...or older....are web surfers too. She has a hand full of friends that aren't online, but that's a very small minority!

She and my Dad started out with the TSR-80's in the late 1970's, starting with the Model 1 and working there way up. From there it was on to Commodore's....she still goes on about how much she liked their old Commodore 64, and wishes she had it back. Then they got their 1st IBM 286, then up to a 386sx, (now a Pentium AND a laptop for travel). Then the internet came home....first Juno dial-up.....now 6.0Mbps DSL.

Besides emailing & surfing, she pays her bills, orders her meds, does her banking, and makes investments online. She's one hi-tech 80 year old Granny!

 

[W2R]

Goonie, that is great! My mother, who would be 98 had she not passed away a couple of months ago, was reasonably computer literate (for her age) back in the 1980's and 1990's. She used to track her investments in Excel, and we would e-mail back and forth every day. Whenever one of us visited her, we would clean the spam out of her e-mail account for her since she had a tendency to just leave it there.

She was not as computer literate as your mother, though. I don't think my mother ever got to the point of paying her bills online or surfing the net on her own, though she thought it was interesting. I think she felt a little intimidated by the WWW and was afraid of picking up a computer virus. She was great at using Excel, though.

During the past few years she was nearly blind and could not continue with the e-mails. My brothers fixed her up with all sorts of technology to deal with it, but eventually she had to have someone handwrite snailmail letters for her, instead. Oh, well!

I am 59, and I feel that while people younger than me are usually computer literate, people older than me often aren't or at least have some difficulties with computers. There are exceptions, of course, including my two older brothers whose careers were founded on their computer/programming skills as was mine.

I can relate to those who have such difficulties. I feel the same way about cell phones! I am trying HARD to push myself beyond that mental barrier so that I not only pay for my cell phone, but actually carry it with me at times. It's tough when you grew up in an era when phones were black, wired, and on a phone table in the entry hall.

 

[tightasadrum]

Oh no!

Rich, why are you doing this? I'm reminded enough of my age as it is, usually when I get out of bed in the morning. As a 40-something trapped in a 61YO frame, I look at my friends from my youth and wonder what's happened to them, so grey, so wrinkled, so...old looking. Maybe they didn't take care of themselves. Glad I don't look that way.

 

[W2R]

I'm 52. Turning 50 hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't believe it was really happening to ME. I wanted no party, no gifts, no cards from the old fogeys section. I just wallowed in denial for a while.

After that, 51 and 52 were a breeze.

I turned 50 just as I was newly divorced. That was scary! But I needn't have been concerned. My fifties have been wonderful, and have made up for all the BS I endured during my first half century of life.

I hope my sixties are at least half as much fun. I turn 60 next June, and that thought is pretty unnerving as well. 60 sounds.... old!

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Rich, why are you doing this? I'm reminded enough of my age as it is, usually when I get out of bed in the morning. As a 40-something trapped in a 61YO frame, I look at my friends from my youth and wonder what's happened to them, so grey, so wrinkled, so...old looking. Maybe they didn't take care of themselves. Glad I don't look that way.

Painful, huh?

Went to my high school reunion a few months ago (40th) and also noted how old my classmates were. At 35 or so, I noticed how young professional athletes were becoming. When my kids had kids, I marvelled at how that could possibly be happening to my kids. Of course, none of that was related to me (I stay the same).

As I now approach my final year of being in my 50s, I seem to have come to some kind of adjustment. No arguing that the 60s decade is a milestone widely perceived as senior=old=emeritus. I think it's about attitude and good health.

 

[tightasadrum]

On my 60th birthday, DW hosted a party for me at our new home. She invited old high school friends, former work associates, my choir buddlies, Sunday School class, former neighbors and other miscellaneous friends around the area. It was the quickest four hours I can remember. I never sat down. I don't know if I ever finished the beer I started. Somehow it made the big "six-o" far easier to swallow.

Rich, I recommend you have a party or do something. Celebrate!!

 

[Dawg52]

I am 29, blond, thin and independently wealthy - how about the rest of you?

OK, OK - I'll vote...

Can I buy you a cup of coffee?

53 here.

 

[Moemg]

Just turned 60 and I can't believe it .I don't feel any older .I thought by this age I'd be wearing sensible shoes with matching bags .Did not happen !

 

[kcowan]

I think the lack of 70+ here might be related to their level of interest in the topic of early retirement.

Have you noticed how the press report people as elderly when they pass 60? I always thought of elderly as a state of mind not a state of age. But what do reporters know anyway?

 

[REWahoo]

I think the lack of 70+ here might be related to their level of interest in the topic of early retirement.

Let's hope that's the case rather than a couple of other possibilities:

- no longer mentally competent enough to participate on a discussion forum
- dead

REW, 62 next week

 

[Martha]

Let's hope that's the case rather than a couple of other possibilities:

- no longer mentally competent enough to participate on a discussion forum
- dead

REW, 62 next week

Well, if this won't get Jarhead and Charlie out of retirement from the board, nothing will.

 

[Nords]

REW, 62 next week

Feeling a little introspective? Hey, when I'm your age I hope I'm as young as you are.

As the golf courses brace for winter rules I was kinda hoping that Jarhead would be back by now, but he's probably spending all his time refining his technique with a Wii golf game.

Besides, Chris Crowley promises that if we quit eating crap and exercise every day then we'll be "Younger Next Year". I'm looking up to guys like you to let me know if that's a lifestyle worth pursuing!

 

[unclemick]

Hmmm - sooo - how old is retiring from ER - I'm 64 gonna be 65 next year - does that make me retired from ER into 'regular retirement' or do I wait till 66 cause that's when SS says so cause of my birth date.

14 years and still practicing - I will get the hang of this ER thing - before I hang it up and retire to 'regular oldpharthood.'

heh heh heh -

 

[Maneiac]

I turned 50 just as I was newly divorced. That was scary! But I needn't have been concerned. My fifties have been wonderful, and have made up for all the BS I endured during my first half century of life.

I hope my sixties are at least half as much fun. I turn 60 next June, and that thought is pretty unnerving as well. 60 sounds.... old!

Sounds like you and I are just days apart in age will hit 59 1/2 on Dec 1 and 60 next June 1st. Have been retired for the past 5 years while waiting for DW to let go of teaching next June! Will probably start drawing from the IRA in January....now THATS scary

 

[Joss]

I've found that viewing my progressive age is better in five-year clumps. I was "about 50" for five years, then "about 55" for another five. This worked pretty good and avoid a lot of math required to be more precise.

Now, I've turned 58 in October and I'm feeling that "about 60" will be additionally useful to avoid a hard landing on the real 6-0 in 2009. For some reason, 60 seems a little more daunting than the previous milestones.

 

[TargaDave]

I am 29, blond, thin and independently wealthy - how about the rest of you?

49, not blond, thinner than I was a year ago, and spiritually wealthy (I do have a thin blond 17 yr old that the boys tend to hoover around when she isn't grounded for sneaking out to parties)

 

[REWahoo]

(I do have a thin blond 17 yr old that the boys tend to hoover around)

Hovering is one thing, but hoovering is something I wouldn't put up with...

 

[Janet H]

Can I buy you a cup of coffee?

53 here.

OK - so I lied. 49 and counting but don't tell my kids friends - they think I'm cool and not as nearly as old as their parents who of course, don't understand them......

 

[sunshine]

46--when I was 29 I started counting backwards...when I couldn't remember my actual age I started telling the truth and planning fore ER...not much longer and I'll be there!!!

 

[RetireeRobert]

How old am I? It's none of your gol-danged business! That's how old I am!

Check the poll results. I voted so my answer is in there.

 

[Martha]

Baby boomers rock!

 

[toofrugalformycat]

How old am I? It's none of your gol-danged business! That's how old I am!

Check the poll results. I voted so my answer is in there.

Amen. I might tell you in cat years but then cats have nine lives so it's irrelevant.

 

[cantlogin]

I'm not nearly as old as I want to be.

 

[Pavo]

Learned about money from my parents, but I knew better at that time

Wisened up at 24, currently 26. My peers think I'm well into my 30's from the way my mind works now financially.