When did I get old?

 

I was in my favorite store recently, when a young family was blocking the way. The mother looked up and told her children, “Move over, kids, and let the old man by.”

Old man, indeed!  I looked at them and just shook my head in amazement, and drove the power cart around them.  Why, I’m not so old, am I? I decided that there must be a test I can take.  I mean, you can find anything on the internet, can’t you? But to my dismay, I could find no such thing.  So, I did what any young, er, mature guy would do. I made one up. Of course, I knew I had to share it with you. Here goes.

You’re only as old as you feel.

                I woke up this morning, feeling pretty good. Then I tried to get up. Let’s see…Back didn’t hurt…too much…knees didn’t lock up – well both of them didn’t.

All your senses are alert.

                My wife said something as I was getting up. I put my hearing aids in and asked her to repeat it.  She asked me to fix some breakfast, I agreed. When it was ready, I put my teeth in and we enjoyed a good meal.

Your body is firm and youthful.

                Hmmm… Hair is grey, skin is wrinkled, I have a spare tire big enough for a semi truck.  Doesn’t look good for me.

As you get older, you get wiser.

                Score one for older, wiser, not so much. That’s a plus, right?

 

All this is, of course, in jest. There is no test to determine if you are old. What we need to remember, is, as we age, we owe the next generation, and need to share the values we were raised with. Things like respect, and empathy. We need to instill in them a solid value system. The ten commandments is a good start. I respectfully ask each of you to look at your life, and ask yourself – Am I getting old? Or just feeling that way?

Good thing the test was made up, I was getting worried.

Be blessed, today and everyday.

               

Could you make the font/text a little larger? I had to get my readers out.... only problem is I forgot where I put them

Mike - LOL on your comment regarding the grandkids.

Dale figures he never has to worry about his second childhood, he claims he never left his first childhood and that is especially evident when under the influence of grandchildren!!

Age is relevant.  Sometimes relevant to one's health, but always to one's outlook.

At 40, on a trip for a week long vacation in our favorite campsite, the day before we were to leave, I finally walked up a four wheel drive trail that had ALWAYS been there.  There I discovered another valley with a beautiful pond, partially surrounded by trees.  I had forgotten to take my camera, so I informed everyone later that I would walk up there again the next morning before we hooked up and went home.  In the two families on this trip, 4 of them were teen-age boys, and they decided that they had to go up with me.

Halfway up the trail, the 4 boys all felt that they had to stop and rest a bit.  I stood there in the middle of that trail, looking back at them and said, "Here I am, 40 years old and I smoke, and YOU are the ones wanting to stop and rest?"  (Of course, we lived and worked on a farm and ranch, so I got lots of exercise and was in good condition.  Not so much anymore.)

 

Back in 2009, four of us, Jo, Jo's sister, Jo's sister's husband and myself spent a day at Mesa Verde in SW Colorado.  We even walked down to some of the ruins, which then required us to walk back up fairly steep grades to get back to the top.  Half way up, I paused to take a picture of the area and happened to think.....all three of the people that were with me had had heart issues, so while I am overweight, I decided that if they could do it, then I had no problems at all.  (Of course, I had to kid them that I didn't think I was "healthy" enough to carry them back up, so they better not "conk out" on me now.)

 

Now, I've got the false teeth, so my smiles are "fake" in appearance, but genuine otherwise.  I'll soon have two "artificial" lenses in my eyes after the cataract surgery.  While I am still apprehensive about the "possibilities," I'm extremely hopeful that new lenses will give me a whole new perspective on the beauty around me.  Who knows....I'm likely to have a "new HD TV" without even having to buy one.

Terry

Pieere, So true. Hope eberything is going well for you.

If it were me in the store situation, I would have told the caring lady "Thank you, but I have no need to be in a hurry." My grandmother passed away of just plain "old age" at 102. I'm working on surpassing that. One cannot get Senior Discounts without being a senior.

Old age is when your mind makes a appointment your body can't keep.

Well said Mark.My thoughts exactly.

Go to a reunion and see all the old people there!!!

Sherry

My husband and I both turn 59 this summer. I have to wrestle the bag boy to let me take out my own groceries and/or they look at me, size me up and don't put more than 3 items in each bag. I just hauled in a 30 bag of dog food from the car, up the stairs! The other thing that I just view with humor is discussions about creams for wrinkles because I think, boy, I should check out that thread only to find that these "girls" are in their 30's and I think "You ain't seen nothin' yet!" I'm taking the aging thing well, my husband not so much but he denies it. I have to admit though that I was thinking of getting a puppy for my birthday since I have two senior dogs and when I did the math, 59 + 15, I thought "That can't be right?" It was. I don't still want to be a pet owner at that age IF I make it! If you can stay busy, age doesn't seem to consume one. We lived in a county where the fastest growing age group was 80+ so I learned a lot. I learned that I don't want to end up an old lady with a cat or 12 cats (or more in some cases) and I don't want to just sit and wait for the Grim Reaper, I'm going to run and he'll have his/her work cutout for him/her. You do start to realize and question as to what you want to do with the rest of your life as the clock ticks. Dump the house and hit the road! I got to get off the computer and get the house ready for market!

Old is however you feel for the day. I thought turning 40 would be rough on me...I still felt 29!! Heck now I am 46 and seeing a whole different side of it.
1. My optomitrist this year just told me that now that I am over 40 I should get bifocals. (is he in my house when I have the magazine on the floor to read it?)
2. In my 20's I could go out dancing and partying all night then get up for work 3 hours later to function well at my job. Today if I am out past 9pm and have more than a 6 pack: takes me 3 days to recover.
3. Living in the south for 15 years I have just developed the "sweetie" and "hun" slang when addressing people. The young boy at the register (who is always there when I get off of work) looked at me and stated: "Mam" even though you are pretty I dont go for old people, so I dont know why you are flirting with me.
4. Years ago when I went to the doc for a check up I could pawn off the statement, "your blood pressure is up" to: good looking doc, nervous about being in the office. Now I just say: are you going to up my meds?

Now on the other side, being a hairdresser I see it all and go through the emotions of both sides.
1. young kids coming in for the Justin Bieber or Rhianna haircut, more body jewelry in their eyebrows than I have in my ears.
Earlobes that have a 1" hole in them (and want to slap them and tell them their lobes will not grow back to normal)
2. My normal Sat ladies come in for their color and set. Consultation is easy: same blue hue color and betty white style? (for those who have ever been in Naples, FL ya'll can understand that one)

Does this make me old?

OMG Pieerre...to funny. I never thought about Marge.