What did it feel like to be old?

[Charlie T Waite]

The other day, a young person asked me: - What did it feel like to be old?

I was very surprised by the question, since I did not consider myself old. When he saw my reaction, he was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question. And after reflection, I concluded that getting old is a gift.

Sometimes I am surprised at the person who lives in my mirror. But I don't worry about those things for long. I wouldn't trade everything I have for a few less gray hairs and a flat stomach. I don't scold myself for not making the bed, or for eating a few extra "little things." I am within my rights to be a little messy, to be extravagant, and to spend hours staring at my flowers.

I have seen some dear friends leave this world, before they had enjoyed the freedom that comes with growing old.

-Who cares if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 in the morning and then sleep until who knows what time?

I will dance with me to the rhythm of the 50's and 60's. And if later I want to cry for some lost love...I will!

I'll walk down the beach in a swimsuit that stretches over my plump body and dive into the waves letting myself go, despite the pitying looks of the bikini-wearers. They'll get old too, if they're lucky...

It is true that through the years my heart has ached for the loss of a loved one, for the pain of a child, or for seeing a pet die. But it is suffering that gives us strength and makes us grow. An unbroken heart is sterile and will never know the happiness of being imperfect.

I am proud to have lived long enough for my hair to turn gray and to retain the smile of my youth, before the deep furrows appeared on my face.

Now, to answer the question honestly, I can say: -I like being old, because old age makes me wiser, freer!-.

I know I'm not going to live forever, but while I'm here, I'm going to live by my own laws, those of my heart.

I'm not going to regret what wasn't, nor worry about what will be.

The time that remains, I will simply love life as I did until today, the rest I leave to God......

[Yul Lose]

Had a young man ask me that not long ago and I said “ if yer lucky you’ll get old and if yer unlucky you’ll get old, depends on how you look at it”. I left him scratching his head.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

I had a similar question not long ago. I said, "everything you have, youth and strength and the rest that goes with it, I've had, in full measure. But you haven't had yet what I have had and have. If you are lucky, you will. So I have no complaints."

[Pat Riot]

Bravo @Charlie T Waite Bravo!

 

Very well put. 

 

———————————————-

 

 

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

all I know , is my mind? says I am much too young to feel this damn old 

 

  CB 

[Blackwater 53393]

I used to have college aged kids ask me questions like this.  I’ve spent a lot of time amongst them because they hired my band for parties and fundraisers around campus.  
 

Our website said that we played the music that we play when it was new.  Never was a statement more true!!

I tell people that I have reached two of the three major goals in my life.

 

1: I have lived long enough to amaze my friends!

 

2: I have lived long enough to really piss off my enemies!

 

3: I am well on the way to having spent my kid’s inheritance!

 

Then I tell them that if they are lucky enough to live that long, they’ll see what it’s like, but they’ll never see the kind changes that my generation and the one before mine saw.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

I'll let you know if I ever do get old.  

[Subdeacon Joe]

Tired.  It feels tired.  And sore.  I remember all the stupid things I did when I was young, unbreakable, and immortal with each twinge or throb.  But, since all that adds up to who and where I am, I wouldn't change anything.
Also a little frustrating, because the body I have now just can't do the things the 20 something in my head insists I can still do.

[Dawg Hair, SASS #29557]

11 hours ago, Charlie T Waite said:

The other day, a young person asked me: - What did it feel like to be old?

I was very surprised by the question, since I did not consider myself old. When he saw my reaction, he was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question. And after reflection, I concluded that getting old is a gift.

Sometimes I am surprised at the person who lives in my mirror. But I don't worry about those things for long. I wouldn't trade everything I have for a few less gray hairs and a flat stomach. I don't scold myself for not making the bed, or for eating a few extra "little things." I am within my rights to be a little messy, to be extravagant, and to spend hours staring at my flowers.

I have seen some dear friends leave this world, before they had enjoyed the freedom that comes with growing old.

-Who cares if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 in the morning and then sleep until who knows what time?

I will dance with me to the rhythm of the 50's and 60's. And if later I want to cry for some lost love...I will!

I'll walk down the beach in a swimsuit that stretches over my plump body and dive into the waves letting myself go, despite the pitying looks of the bikini-wearers. They'll get old too, if they're lucky...

It is true that through the years my heart has ached for the loss of a loved one, for the pain of a child, or for seeing a pet die. But it is suffering that gives us strength and makes us grow. An unbroken heart is sterile and will never know the happiness of being imperfect.

I am proud to have lived long enough for my hair to turn gray and to retain the smile of my youth, before the deep furrows appeared on my face.

Now, to answer the question honestly, I can say: -I like being old, because old age makes me wiser, freer!-.

I know I'm not going to live forever, but while I'm here, I'm going to live by my own laws, those of my heart.

I'm not going to regret what wasn't, nor worry about what will be.

The time that remains, I will simply love life as I did until today, the rest I leave to God......

Very, very well said.  At 81 that is exactly how I feel.  Thanks.

[Rip Snorter]

Mom used the classic, "Getting old is not for the faint of heart." Dad, on the other hand "Consider the alternative."  Now that I'm where I am, the good outweighs the bad nearly every day.

[The Surgeon]

You should make that a poem very well written. 

[Charlie T Waite]

27 minutes ago, The Surgeon said:

You should make that a poem very well written. 

It wasn't mine...I found it a while ago & saved it - just came across it again & decided to post it. 

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

Line in a movie, Kid asks 'whats the worst part about being old'? Old guy ponders for s second and says. 'remembering when you were young'!

 

I think about that one quite a bit.

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

2 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

Tired.  It feels tired.  And sore.  I remember all the stupid things I did when I was young, unbreakable, and immortal with each twinge or throb.  But, since all that adds up to who and where I am, I wouldn't change anything.
Also a little frustrating, because the body I have now just can't do the things the 20 something in my head insists I can still do.

In Charlie T's discussion I find wisdom indeed -- but in the good Subdeacon I find my hand is a-wavin' in the air!

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

Since I got too old to work and had the modest means to retire, I can truthfully say that I'm having the time of my life!   Life is good and I thank my Lord for every blessing He has bestowed upon me.  I'm much more thankful for my past and present blessings than ever before.

 

Charlie T Waite, your original post was very well stated!!

 

 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

I recently turned 81 and a young woman at the VA asked what my goals were  for my 81st year.

 

I told her getting to 82 was way up on my list.

 

An old man sitting across from me started to laugh and clap.  

 

"Damn fine answer, Kid.  I'm going for 89 this year."

[Blackwater 53393]

One of the finest moments in many of my days is when I am among those of the younger crowd and I find several of them looking me over.

 

 I can simply show a little bit of a smile and raise an eyebrow.  They often become uneasy and start pointedly looking away or talking a little more animatedly.  It happens more often as I get older.
 

When I had the opportunity to ask some of them about their reactions, one of them explained that they all wondered what it was that I knew or was thinking that made me grin so knowingly.

 

 I told him that when he got to be my age there’d be a lot of things he’d know that he hadn’t learned yet. 

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

Some of life's greatest  pleasures can only be experienced if you grow old.

 

Having children grow into middle age with happy and successful lives. Watching grandchildren become adults; graduating from college, establishing careers, and getting married themselves.

 

Seeing great-grandchildren, of which we now have three with another on the way.

 

And-- being married to a beautiful woman for 56 years, since age 19, and to enjoy all of the above things together. (Though, of course, age itself sometimes makes that impossible.)

 

A few more, too. It's not that getting old is good itself, but it can bring good things that nothing else can.

 

 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

A side note:  I have had people ask me if I'm some sort of cowboy or something (Because of how I dress I suspect.)  My standard reply has become "I haven't been any kind of a BOY for more than sixty years."

 

Some think it's funny, some want to ask me questions, and a few just tuck their tails and slink away.

[J-BAR #18287]

 Fourth of July a few years ago, hot, humid.  I'm watching a baseball game on tv in the air conditioned home of our host while he grills the meat in his backyard.  His two grandsons are in there with me, playing with their toys.  One of them says, "I'm five!" and holds up his hand with digits spread wide.  His brother says, "I'm nine!" and holds up the correct number of fingers.

 

"Want to know how old I am?" I asked.  They both said YES.  I held up both hands,  opening and closing them rapidly while counting out loud:  "Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy."

 

The nine- year old looked at me soberly.  "You should be dead by now, right?"

 

I just nodded, couldn't talk for laughing.

[Gracos Kid]

Reminded me of this, which I try to apply to myself:

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

Well said, even if not original, worth quoting

 

Imis

[Blackwater 53393]

I was scrolling through my “old emails archive” just now and found this bit of humor that Badger Mtn. Charlie sent me back at the end of 2020.

On Dec 20, 2020,

 

“The devil whispered to me, “I’m coming for you.” 
I whispered back, “Bring pizza.” 

 

Having plans sounds like a good idea until you have to put on clothes and leave the house.

 

It’s weird being the same age as old people.

 

When I was a kid I wanted to be older…this is not what I expected.

 

Life is like a helicopter.  I don’t know how to operate a helicopter.

 

Chocolate is God’s way of telling us he likes us a little bit chubby.

 

It’s probably my age that tricks people into thinking I’m an adult.

 

Never sing in the shower!  Singing leads to dancing, dancing leads to slipping, and slipping leads to paramedics
seeing you naked.  So remember…Don’t sing!

 

If 2020 was a math word-problem:   If you’re going down a river at 2 MPH and your canoe loses a wheel, how much
pancake mix would you need to re-shingle your roof?

 

I see people about my age mountain climbing; I feel good getting my leg through my underwear without losing my
balance.

 

If you can’t think of a word say “I forgot the English word for it.”  That way people will think you’re bilingual
instead of an idiot.

 

I’m at a place in my life where errands are starting to count as going out.

 

Coronacoaster
 noun:  the ups and downs of a pandemic.  One day you’re loving your bubble, doing work outs, baking banana bread and going for long walks and the next you’re crying, drinking
gin for breakfast and missing people you don’t even like.

 

I’m at that age where my mind still thinks I’m 29, my humor suggests I’m 12, while my body mostly keeps asking
if I’m sure I’m not dead yet.

 

I’m getting tired of being part of a major historical event.

 

I don’t always go the extra mile, but when I do it’s because I missed my exit.

 

At what point can we just start using 2020 as profanity? As in:  “That’s a load of 2020.”  or “What in the 2020.”
or “abso-2020-lutely.”

 

You don’t realize how old you are until you sit on the floor and then try to get back up.  

 

We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more information in our heads. That's my story and
I'm sticking to it.”

[watab kid]

to the OP - well put into words 

 

ive not been asked that yet but expect it anytime now , i think ive just been forthcoming about the changes im going thru to those around me so they dont ask it , i dont feel old - but i cant do everything i once did , i still wake up thinking ill shave that 18 year old face , instead i trim that gray beard of a 73 year old man that has thinning gray hair , 

 

im reflecting on something said above tho , the changes we have seen in this life , its almost unbelievable , my folks talked of the changes in their lifetime and my grandparents talked of the changes they saw , it is almost beyond what one could make up , 

 

my grandmother couldn't vote when young and was not supposed to drive those new fangled cars  , but she did till she died , she saw the turn of a century , she also went to college and played college basketball , before girls were to get educated and play sports , flying was a new thing as were cars , they still had horses , , then they had kids ............ that new fangled phone was a party line

 

my folks lived thru prohibition and the gangster era , my father flying in WWII , the atomic bomb , and saw the grandparents get running water and indoor plumbing , i was around for those refrigerators and TVs they started out with , but the radio was the main source of news and entertainment , not just any radio either , that free standing atwater kent with its huge tubes that stands in my entry and still works , but we went from rotary dial phones to those key pads - analog to digital ? oh and we got color TV 

 

and then we come along ...... seeing the age of plastics , VN , landing on the moon , calculators-then computers ,  bag phones - then cell phones , turn of another century , sadly this one wont see the roaring economy of the last but here we are , our cars have far more computer power than the moon landing module , 

 

sometimes i cling to the past , sometimes i revel in the present , i hope my grandkids get to see all ive seen and more , i hope they see the good things not the bad 

[Pat Riot]

On 5/12/2023 at 3:52 PM, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

A side note:  I have had people ask me if I'm some sort of cowboy or something (Because of how I dress I suspect.)  My standard reply has become "I haven't been any kind of a BOY for more than sixty years."

 

Some think it's funny, some want to ask me questions, and a few just tuck their tails and slink away.

Forty Rod, next time respond with “I am SOMETHING!” Then throw your hands in the air and grin. 
 

When people ask me what size I am I grin and say “FUN Size”! 

[Rip Snorter]

You just smile, touch the brim of your hat and continue about your business.

[Finagler 6853 Life]

As my tag line says, you are never too old to have a happy childhood.  Many people didn't have that idyllic, happy go lucky childhood.  There is nothing from stopping you now.  Go play in a sand box.  Eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch with a glass of chocolate milk.  Watch a cartoon.  Hug a friend, just because.  You can do that now and no one can stop you.

 

People ask me how I'm doing.  My typical reply is, everyday above ground is a good day.  No matter how bad your day is going, you have it better than many.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

8 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Forty Rod, next time respond with “I am SOMETHING!” Then throw your hands in the air and grin. 
 

When people ask me what size I am I grin and say “FUN Size”! 

That's close to a response I have for "have a good one."

 

"I have a good one but you'll never see it."

 

One very cute young lady looked me square in the eye, leaned closer, and asked if I'd like to negotiate a different answer.  I broke up laughing and her mother said quite boldly, "Elouise, I saw him first." 

 

Sometimes I wish I could peel about forty years off my birthday and make it stick.  They would have been a pair to draw to.

[Pat Riot]

11 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

That's close to a response I have for "have a good one."

 

"I have a good one but you'll never see it."

A friend of mine would say “Thanks, but how did you know?” then walk away when people would say “You have a good one.”

[Matthew Duncan]

One advantage of old age is that it doesn’t last long.

[Lone Spur Jake SASS #7728]

Dear mother was 96 when she passed away.  Had recently had a heart attack and then a minor stroke.  She realized she wasn't going to be able to live by herself, read books every night, play cards with friends a lot, travel, do her own laundry, etc.  Mind was as sharp as when she was a lot younger.  Just before she passed away she told me "Son, I think my extended warranty on my body has run out, so I think it's time I ask the Lord if I can trade this one in for a new one."   She was lucky and passed away in her sleep with a smile on her face.  We should all be that lucky.

When younger folks ask me about what it's like to be old, I just tell them "Getting old is not for sissies."

[Texas Lizard]

When threesomes got harder to keep up with.....Went back to two guns only....Yaa I know what you were thinking...That too....

 

Texas Lizard

[Blackwater 53393]

I often respond to questions about my age and abilities with a borrowed line.  One of my favorites is, “I’m as good once as I ever was!”

 

Another one that gets a rise out of some folks is, “What I used to do all night now takes me all night to do!”

 

Some gals are rather intrigued by that last one!! 

[Guest BigBelle]

Lots of kneel and back pain.

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

1 hour ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

 

 

Another one that gets a rise out of some folks is, “What I used to do all night now takes me all night to do!”

 

Some gals are rather intrigued by that last one!! 

 

 ....... oh yeah, ........ SLEEP ....... right?