Once you hit your fifties and perhaps the first signs of stiffening of the joints begin you tend to begin thinking about old age . . . distant though it still seems at an age of merely fifty. What defines old age? Naturally a bunch of experts got together and decided among themselves the definition of old age; and it is probably a true definition . . . if you ascribe to their philosophy; and in truth it is just a philosophy since everyone mentally age at a rate different from the chronological ticking of the clock. Of a set of twin brothers both can physically look and feel about the same at -- say -- age eighty and yet one might have a youthful seeming exuberance and joyful eye where life and the future is concerned whereas the other could be exhibiting all the signs of someone just waiting to be burred. Oh and here is the link to the article that set these thoughts in motion for me: https://www.washingtonpost.com/heal...945ae5db8fb_story.html?utm_term=.ca29c8a3dd35 It's an interesting read but again it ends up depending on the individual and in that you are as old as you decide you are . . . sort of . . . short, of course, of your body deciding all on its own that you are an old fart and just falling apart on you. Nothing ages a person like constant pain. But let's put physical ailments aside from the inevitable and generic aches and pains that are a normal result of getting older. Yes, it does seem to be all about attitude. I and a work partner are both in our sixties and at work we experience a fair amount of physical exertion on a routine basis and also routinely we are tasked with solving problems. Thus both mind and body are endlessly exercised at least five days per week. Yet we both sometimes seem like a pair of old men in comparison to our boss, who's now in his mid 80's and yet moves and acts and thinks like a much younger man. Why? First he has got the build of a tall, lean, and well-muscled Viking. So in other words, his good genetics are a factor. In comparison I and my same age work partner experience more aches and pains than our boss as a matter of routine. I experience more that the other two, which is ironic in that I am the only one of us three who also exercises and perform daily stretches. But life and old age can be like that. So what do we three share in common? We enjoy life. Aside from being torpedoed by your own body or by whatever slings and arrows fortune flings at you from year to year, you have got to remain mentally and physically active as you age and you need to find a way to enjoy being alive. If you manage that then you won't be old no matter what your body tells you to the contrary. Attendant to that bit of second hand wisdom is the observation that retirement without purpose is a death sentence. If you do retire then continue to mentally and physically challenge yourself 'till death do you part with life. You have to stay engaged, period.
Although I don't consider it 'getting old', I now pay attention to and respect the messages I receive from my body. I don't have the strength I used to. And I'm careful not to lift heavy things, as I once did. My mind is very young, but I respect that my body doesn't agree.
Interesting topic. I'll be 85 in a few weeks. I always think of Gene Hackman's comment when I think of getting old: "it's a shock when I look in the mirror and see my grandfather looking back at me". I'm cursed with a mobility issue that requires me to rely on a mobility scooter to cover any distance over a couple hundred feet but I'm blessed with the mental capabilities that I've seemed able to retain. My wife and I live in a very comfortable retirement community here in Tucson. In our community I enjoy being the BMOC. No one can touch me on the pool table. In Bean Bag toss no one can come close to me. In wii bowling I'm probably in the top three. Hell, I had to wait till my 80's to become cool. I'm loving it. Life is good. Age is relative.
That's my boss in that despite being in his 80s he's dynamic in every possible way and serves as an inspiration to us younger geezers.
Yes @Capt Nice ... age is relative. And it seems there are some unexpected influences. My wife and I have no kids. I'm 72 and she is 66 and neither of us have any family members left except for my sister 3000 miles away. And it seems that having no kids keeps us young, .. or at least keeps us with a young outlook. We don't feel old. I try to stay fit by jogging 3/4 of a mile to 1 mile about 4 times a week. We're both active. And all we need to set us back would be for arthritis in our knees, ankles, or spine to stop us. But so far, so good.
