What makes you feel old?

[ls99]

The 12 year old girl at the ice rink doing triple jumps of various kinds, while I'm working on an outside three turn.
I think I found the next figure skating Olympic champion. She spends three to four hours a day skating, smiling the whole time, and is home schooled. Her mom does the homework evaluations while she is tearing up the rink.

Yeah, I'm jealous.

But then again I had a 50 year break in skating.

 

[kaneohe]

The second time (the first last year was a fluke, right?), an elderly woman in Chinatown with 2 young grandkids declines your offer of a seat on the bus and then insists loudly that you are more deserving................

 

[JOHNNIE36]

I can remember gas at 35 cents a gallon and people complaining about how high it was.

But what really makes me feel old is to watch live footage from World War II. It looks ancient and historical to me, but I was born smack dab at the midpoint of the war.

Just had to get this in. The cheapest I ever saw gas was 1957 while in college. It was cheap enough but then they had a gas war (between stations) and we were buying it for 19c/gal. Even during high school, the standard order at the gas station was 5 gallons. At that time it set you back about $1.50.

One other item I'll always remember is that I got a big promotion to a department head but had to transfer from a plant in Ohio to one in Michigan. Still can't believe I moved the wife and three kids for that better job. My salary was $860 per month. That was in 1965.

 

[devans0]

I am on the use-it-or-lose-it wagon. I have the aches of having aged decades older than I was only two years ago. I was pretty fit, but I had some things happen that kept me away from exercising. I am amazed at the changes in such a short time. I could run rings around the kids at work. Now i have to work to hold my own.
The good news is that I know what I need and it won't take long to get back to even younger feeling. The better news is that it's fun to get there.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Last Monday I missed the last step of our back stairs and have been on crutches with a bad sprain. Never before had crutches or an injury like this. I feel very old this week for a lot of reasons, but the ankle was certainly a bitter topper. I can't imagine if I had to face this for an extended period of time. Ugh!

 

[Nords]

The second time (the first last year was a fluke, right?), an elderly woman in Chinatown with 2 young grandkids declines your offer of a seat on the bus and then insists loudly that you are more deserving................

Just don't call her kupuna...

 

[East Texas]

Ah, the days of gas wars.... $.25/gal gas would go down as low as $.17/gal. I could fill up on less than $5. Then the early '70s came and the big oil / gas scare (my dad worked for an oil company and he said there were plenty of reserves) and gas prices went through the roof. I remember the first time they cross $1.00. That was absolute tragedy.

I was paid $.80/hr for my first job. For some reason it was enough to pay rent and buy groceries and still have a little bit left over.

Don't misunderstand this as my missing the old times. The good old days are here and now. We're living longer and living better. This is the best time of my life.

 

[Ally]

I think physical ailments and seeing my face change both make me feel old. But neither are awful and just sort of hit me once in awhile.

 

[scrabbler1]

I remember when I was a kid my elderly relatives used to go to the lavatory much more often than I did. I am far from their age (only 47 now) but now that I see it happening to me I am beginning to feel old like them.

When I am at the barber, I see more and more clumps of grey hair on the protective smock, reminding me that it is becoming more than small minority but a growing one but thankfully not yet a majority.

As for gas prices, I remember them as low as $0.28 per gallon back in 1972, just before the oil crisis in 1973. A few years later, my family was in Maine on vacation and the local gas station had an old-style pump which did not go further than $0.50 so they had to set the price to half the actual selling price then warn motorists that they would have to pay double the dollar value on the pump (so it was not "Bargain Basement Sale" on gasoline that day!).

 

[Major Tom]

I think physical ailments and seeing my face change both make me feel old. But neither are awful and just sort of hit me once in awhile.

Oh yes - have to agree. Looking in the mirror and realizing that I look completely different from when I was in my early 20's is a bit weird. Not bad - just a little strange.

 

[bulletbiter]

I feel old when I realize it takes a whole lot more work to keep myself in shape as opposed to just a few years ago.

True story - my niece and nephew were visiting from out of town last summer (they're both 10yrs.old) and I took them for a drive around town. They were sitting in the back seat and ,after a while ,one of them said " Oh, look! We can control our own windows! Is this something new,Uncle? ( they never saw a car with roll-up windows before)

 

[Avalon]

Feeling old is a state of mind in my opinion. Just when you think age is taking youth away, a new thing happens that returns the years thought lost. It could be a touch never felt before....or something as simple as a dandelion flower.

 

[Eager Beaver]

The other day one of my professors asked the class "Do any of you remember where you were when the Discovery launched in 1988?"

It goes quiet, and someone near the front awkwardly says "uhh... not born yet?" I am positive at least 75% of the class was born in 87 or 88.

The look on his face was very indicative of the feelings described in this thread...

 

[obgyn65]

Same for me. I feel old when I see all the grey hair falling on my lap at the haidresser !

When I am at the barber, I see more and more clumps of grey hair on the protective smock,

 

[Ready-4-ER-at-14]

I feel old when I go into the bank and see how quickly a 20 something can fill in a deposit slip or a form. I had taken in two property tax payments and we were each filling out a form. She was done as I was just getting started. Rather than make her wait, I just laughed and said here you do it so neither of us have to wait. Fortunately I had prewritten the checks at home.

 

[Walt34]

I remember the five cent candy bars and loading up on those.

A quote that comes to mind is "You can tell how old a man is by what he takes two at a time - stairs or pills".

I can still do stairs two at a time, but my right knee reminds me not to do that too often. And yeah, I'm on some pills.

 

[Cattusbabe]

i am surprised at how many people that are a lot younger than i am are complaining about aches, pains and how doing a minor amount of physical activity kicks their butt.

the work i do growing vegetables all spring thru fall not to mention splitting, picking up and moving 3 cord of firewood to the woodshed plus all the other bs i do as a home owner must keep me young. in addition to that a healthy diet of real food, no processed or refined junk that comprises the standard american diet (sad), the way people ate 100 years ago no doubts helps. i will say in my early 30's i had a terrible diet and was starting to exhibit many health problems associated with the way i ate which is why i changed my life style. i did not have gray hair until mid 40's, need glasses until 48 or 49, still have a full head of hair no bald spot, look at least 10 years younger than my age and i am never sick.

it may be good genes but i suspect my diet has a lot to do with it plus i never had kids. too much stress with kids, everyone i know that had them was much older, sicker and worn out than me at any given point in time.

i hope people don't think what i have said is bragging because i am not, apparently i'm the healthy exception tho i do glow blue in the dark. i said this to express what i have experienced since it seems to be so different than the comments i'm reading. ymmv.

No you are not bragging. You know what your talking about. When I FIRED I started a fitness program lost a little weight, improved my strength and flexability and was feeling better than I did when I quit the job. It was not until I switched my diet last year to the one you described in your post that I saw a dramatic improvement in my health. Aches and pains that I have attributed to being middle age have all gone. Blood pressure back to normal and I'm now off medications. GERD gone. My energy and libido went through the roof. DH has noticed the change and has joined me in the diet change. You can call me a believer.

 

[mystang52]

I'm a runner. While I was always a slow runner..now I'm really slow. And, I don't care (well, maybe a little)!
My friend, who has always been trim and athletic, summed it up: "When we were younger and got hurt, we'd be better the next day. Now when we get hurt, we stay hurt."

 

[glippy]

What's wrong with being old?

From the comments people seem to equate "old" with "out of shape/unhealthy/in pain". But that's not what old means. Old just means something/someone has been around for a while.

You could be 90, in good health, happy, with lots of friends and an active mind, but you're still old. So what? I just don't understand the attitude that old=bad. Isn't this just a product of a society and consumer culture that is absolutely obsessed with young bodies, youthful lifestyles and novelty?

I look forward to experiencing a healthy old age myself. It seems like it would be a wonderful phase of life with the right attitude. Rather than desperately trying to pretend you will never get "old" because you go to the gym, have low blood pressure, and use face creams.

 

[cj]

Getting the senior citizens' discount without asking. (HEY!! I'm only 56, you young punk!)

Then there was the time, a few days ago, when the young whipper-snapper I was training to replace me asked me how long I had been in IT. I said, since 1986. Which, of course, was the year he was born. <sigh>

But generally, no, it doesn't bother me. It makes me laugh most of the time.

 

[MikeD]

I look old. My dermatologist attributes it to a lifetime of diabetes. I am 57 but feel 25 mentally and 80 physically. I enjoy being old except for the running out of time part. I would be extremely happy except for the death of my dog/daughter Black Lab Emily two years ago this last weekend. It's the only thing that really bothers me. I still cry almost every day as I miss her so much. We have no children and have been married for about 35 years and Emily was our only child. The diabetes really racks up the mileage on your body. I take 19 prescription medicines (47 pills per day) due to legitimate health problems. I'm pretty sure that helps with the making me feel old physically. But, as my first boss out of college's little sign on his desk said, "I'm so happy, I could just sh!t!"

 

[W2R]

I look old. My dermatologist attributes it to a lifetime of diabetes. I am 57 but feel 25 mentally and 80 physically. I enjoy being old except for the running out of time part.

+1 I am having a great time in my 60's, but the older I get, the more I feel like my days are numbered. I'm reasonably healthy, but still nobody lives forever. Yet. If immortality ever becomes an option, I'd be the first in line. I'm not holding my breath for that one, though.

I would be extremely happy except for the death of my dog/daughter Black Lab Emily two years ago this last weekend. It's the only thing that really bothers me. I still cry almost every day as I miss her so much.

I am so sorry to hear about Emily. Death of a pet can be really traumatic, and yet so often others seem to treat it as trivial. Emily was truly fortunate to be your pet and I'm sure she loved you deeply, too.

 

[calmloki]

Lets see.... trimming long hairs growing on the outer edge of my left ear, ditto nose hair. Shoulders crunching if I do something strenuous like put my arm over my head. Varicose veins that would do the belly of a prize Holstein milker proud. Losing molars - three slated to depart end of month, which will leave me chewing with my canines till implants can get placed in a year or so. Sucky balance which makes me climb ladders and hills with a touch of fear. Hernia belt. Meeting new college student renter's grandparents and being older than they are. Having less concern about outliving our assets and more about the effect of catastrophic health care costs wiping it out.

 

[Ally]

So sorry, Mike, about your dog Emily. We love our pets so I know how it is to lose your daughter.
I've worked at my job almost 30 years and it's very strange to give VHS training tapes to the college kids and they don't know how to use them. They say "my grandma had some of these when I was a kid."

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

I felt that I was getting old when Alice Kramden started to look good.