How you doin'? Life as a Senior.

It seems the days run past, the months fly by and the years pass in a blink.
I am pretty busy. I know I am lucky and try to stay mobile. I guess my slowest
part of the day is here in the Office, sitting at the Desk, typing. It's mow
again tomorrow if the rains hold off. Yea.
 

Thank you all for sharing. I had such high dreams when I was young. None of them came to pass. Instead, my life has been at best ordinary. With its fair share of tragedies - one of my nieces developed bipolar, a nephew had downs, family squabbles, etc. All too common, I guess. I feel depressed generally. Life is such a letdown. Although I know that my life has been good in all respects and that life for many are worse, it's no comfort really. I wish I feel more enthusiastic about everyday life - exercise, diet, work, housework, family, etc. I'm not complaining but...

😅🤣😂😂🤣🤣😂😋 I guess there's nothing one can do but laugh at it. Enjoy the little things, like world championship snooker.
 

hazer said:
Life as a senior has been a wonderful blend of freedom and exploration. I’ve embraced new hobbies, taken on a few small adventures, and even revisited old passions I’d put aside for years. The best part is having the time to really savor each moment, without the rush of daily responsibilities. Sure, there are challenges, but I focus on staying active, keeping my mind sharp, and maintaining connections with friends and family. Life after retirement isn’t about slowing down, it’s about making the most of every opportunity. The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to live in the present and continue growing.
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Welcome. And thank you for sharing. I totally agree. Love in the present and keep growing.
 
Must be something wrong with my thinking. When I reached 60 I was, "I'm 60." and I wondered if I was 'supposed' to think, "I'm old!" But I didn't. I suppose my 3 children thought 60 was old, until they saw my thinking, and my way of being was no different than then before turning 60. As the years have gone by, physical problems that have started up, and others worsened, were not happening because of aging!" It took me a few years to think to put 2 & 2 together--to accept, "Okay, the higher the "old" age number, the more likely my body is gonna give out on me one way or another. No wonder some doctors and nurses patronize me. ha
 
Elsie said:
Must be something wrong with my thinking. When I reached 60 I was, "I'm 60." and I wondered if I was 'supposed' to think, "I'm old!" But I didn't. I suppose my 3 children thought 60 was old, until they saw my thinking, and my way of being was no different than then before turning 60. As the years have gone by, physical problems that have started up, and others worsened, were not happening because of aging!" It took me a few years to think to put 2 & 2 together--to accept, "Okay, the higher the "old" age number, the more likely my body is gonna give out on me one way or another. No wonder some doctors and nurses patronize me. ha
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I love the way you think (or perhaps more correctly, don't think, 🤣😂🤣). I, on the other hand, overthink.
 
erhm z??> how d'ta spell fink ?? - ok ok darl - they want summat about finkin or stinkin or sinkin not sure but as sure as hell it ends in in in in in in ???
 
Medusa said:
I've just read this. It's nice, moving, but I know it has depths I am not perceiving.
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I've never liked that poem (Do not go gentle into that good night). Spent plenty of time around elderly parents/step-parents/relatives who weren't going gentle and who made life hellish for everyone (mostly me) around them. So I'm trying to go as gentle as possible. (It's hard sometimes but I think it's worth the effort.)
 
officerripley said:
I've never liked that poem (Do not go gentle into that good night). Spent plenty of time around elderly parents/step-parents/relatives who weren't going gentle and who made life hellish for everyone (mostly me) around them. So I'm trying to go as gentle as possible. (It's hard sometimes but I think it's worth the effort.)
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You know, I don't think I've ever actually read it until it was mentioned here. My impression is that it's more of an internal, mental thing.
 
officerripley said:
I've never liked that poem (Do not go gentle into that good night). Spent plenty of time around elderly parents/step-parents/relatives who weren't going gentle and who made life hellish for everyone (mostly me) around them. So I'm trying to go as gentle as possible. (It's hard sometimes but I think it's worth the effort.)
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LOL. I get you. I don't think it was meant that way, but to encourage us to treasure our lives as we grow old. Not to give up. Giving up can be a burden to those around us as well.
 
Medusa said:
Well, I can't claim to have arrived on the other side of this existential crisis, but I haven't been as heavily plagued by it as much in the last few days. This might be a result of simply dying my hair back to brown, which has helped with my self image.

Nice of you to ask.

Welcome to the forum. :)
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Well I'm sure my July 11, 2025 turning 60 daughter would just love to hear that 60 is old. Not. 😁 I suspect she doesn't like that number, but she continues to be (almost) as active as she was at 59. She probably is finding she can't whizz around as fast as she once could, but she tries, her whizz has slowed. down a bit. I suspect she's having a bit of a problem accepting that it has. But 60? Old?! No. Enjoy it.
 
Elsie said:
Well I'm sure my July 11, 2025 turning 60 daughter would just love to hear that 60 is old. Not. 😁 I suspect she doesn't like that number, but she continues to be (almost) as active as she was at 59. She probably is finding she can't whizz around as fast as she once could, but she tries, her whizz has slowed. down a bit. I suspect she's having a bit of a problem accepting that it has. But 60? Old?! No. Enjoy it.
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It's all perception.

I was just talking to my stylist about this. She's 63 and I was telling her about my feelings on turning 60 and how I'm trying to adjust my view, within and without.

She asked me, "Do you feel 60?"
I said, "I don't feel any age at all. I just feel like me."
She said, "There you go."

You know, it actually helped. :)
 
Boon54 said:
For me, it was 70. I suddenly felt old when I reached 70. Until then, I thought I'd just grow older but when I got to 70, it kinda happened all at the same time. In particular, I lost much of my drive and I found I generally needed more time to do things I used to take for granted. I now take 2 to 3 hrs to get up. I get more easily flustered when rushed. More forgetful. But, it seems more than ever, living life is a conscious daily effort. I thought I lived life the way I wanted to, I was just coasting along, taking a lot of stuff for granted. But now, I realise I've got to decide, make a conscious effort to keep going, change my self-perception, etc. Thanks for sharing, Medusa.
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Boon54,
Each point you made, I am living the same. Before I retired at 67 (I'm 75), people kept telling me how they hated retirement, that they felt rudderless and bored. After working for more than 50 years, sometimes with numerous bosses over me and often with significant numbers under me, I approached retirement differently. I told others that I looked forward to it as I was tired of working and disgusted with typical corporate environments. In face, that held true, once retired for 5 years or so. I enjoyed merely sitting, being lazy with no outside pressures. That did not last. I became the caregiver for my ailing wife and that lasted for over 30 years.

Now, I don't have to get up quickly so I laze around, catnapping until I feel good and ready to rise. When I hit 70, I started to wonder about my worth, and what I had accomplished in my life. I published 4 novels, but the difference between being an author and being a successful author is great. When I first held one of my books in my hand, I felt elated, but the value of one's writing efforts is directly tied to sales and/or positive reviews. I have the reviews but sales have always been slow. I'm not sure if "coasting along" is a bad thing. Perhaps that feels wrong only due to a previous life of constant work.

I am certainly not a great example of successful retirement. Now that I am widowed, I certainly have all the time in the world (except, I am a heart patient), so ....

So goes the life of this senior.

Great relating with you, Boon54!

-David-
 
David later version said:
Boon54,
Each point you made, I am living the same. Before I retired at 67 (I'm 75), people kept telling me how they hated retirement, that they felt rudderless and bored. After working for more than 50 years, sometimes with numerous bosses over me and often with significant numbers under me, I approached retirement differently. I told others that I looked forward to it as I was tired of working and disgusted with typical corporate environments. In face, that held true, once retired for 5 years or so. I enjoyed merely sitting, being lazy with no outside pressures. That did not last. I became the caregiver for my ailing wife and that lasted for over 30 years.

Now, I don't have to get up quickly so I laze around, catnapping until I feel good and ready to rise. When I hit 70, I started to wonder about my worth, and what I had accomplished in my life. I published 4 novels, but the difference between being an author and being a successful author is great. When I first held one of my books in my hand, I felt elated, but the value of one's writing efforts is directly tied to sales and/or positive reviews. I have the reviews but sales have always been slow. I'm not sure if "coasting along" is a bad thing. Perhaps that feels wrong only due to a previous life of constant work.

I am certainly not a great example of successful retirement. Now that I am widowed, I certainly have all the time in the world (except, I am a heart patient), so ....

So goes the life of this senior.

Great relating with you, Boon54!

-David-
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I so relate to this, David. I really wonder what will happen when I retire. I want to continue doing something and writing books do seem like an option. But, yes, I know so many people who are writing books, or have written books, and it's just a personal thing. There is a sense that they are just coasting along.

Maybe that's why I've been looking at the meaning of life and religion, esp. Christianity. I do wish you all the best, David. You deserve to enjoy the final years of your life. We all do. With any luck, you may live another 20 to 30 years. We all might.

It shouldn't be a scary thought.
 

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