# Things they don't tell you about getting old: **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 11, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189 "2014-09-11T15:46:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/1 "2014-09-11T15:46:39Z")
Or maybe it’s just me… Losing the ability to whistle? At least proficiently. Sweating. A lot. Even two years ago I barely sweat. Now just walking around outside will leave my shirt soaked. Stupid ear-hair. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/2 "2014-09-11T16:22:30Z")
Maybe related to whistling? Your mouth will take on the look of a drawstring purse. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/3 "2014-09-11T16:24:54Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Sweating. A lot. Even two years ago I barely sweat. Now just walking around outside will leave my shirt soaked. That one won’t bother me. When I was 18, I was already a world-class sweat-er. (Despite being skinny as a rail.) ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/4 "2014-09-11T16:30:21Z")
In my late 50s, my face started getting all oily all the time, like it did when I was a teenager. At least this time it was without the zits. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/5 "2014-09-11T16:33:37Z")
I forgot. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/6 "2014-09-11T16:35:51Z")
Everything you used to look forward to will become things you’re wistful about. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/7 "2014-09-11T16:53:41Z")
Tinnitus - Nobody appreciates how horrible it is until they get it. Even then they can’t appreciate how horrible MINE is because only I can hear it. And ear hair. Something bad is going on with ears when we get old. I didn’t used to grunt and wheeze whenever I get up from a chair or when I tried to tie my shoes. When did that start? I can’t remember. In fact, what were we talking about? The problem with kids these days? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/8 "2014-09-11T16:58:06Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > … > > I didn’t used to grunt and wheeze whenever I get up from a chair or when I tried to tie my shoes… That didn’t sound like a grunt or a wheeze to me. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/9 "2014-09-11T17:26:42Z")
[ul] [li]Ear hair and random unruly single strands of hair in my eyebrows.[/li][li]How long it takes to recover from hangovers now.[/li][li]How long it takes to recover from injuries, or even muscle soreness from exercise.[/li][li]Hell, how long it takes to recover from anything and everything.[/li][li]That without even realizing it, I would become much more risk averse. When did I stop being somewhat “LET’S DO IT WOO!” and became more “Well, if I do that it could really hurt if I fall and I got to work on Monday…”.[/li][li]Rapidly decreasing flexibility. I mean, I was never double-jointed or anything but c’mon now… my feet are right there. Why can’t I reach them anymore![/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/10 "2014-09-11T17:26:47Z")
Plantar fasciitis. Women complaining about hurting feet is almost a universal background noise. So that when you get old and get plantar fasciitis and the bottoms of your feet hurt horribly all the time and you gripe about it, folks assume you’re still whining about how your high heels annoy you. Nuh-uh. PF is way, way worse. And it prevents you from running or even doing much in the way of walking. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/11 "2014-09-11T17:38:34Z")
You will wish you had done a lot of things when you were younger, or you had no other commitments, or they still existed as things to see and do. Mark Twain said on your deathbed, you will not regret anything you ever did – only things you did not do. Don’t let those future regrets pile up. You will have to lick your dry fingers to turn pages, and it annoys the shit out of kids. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/12 "2014-09-11T17:41:54Z")
I’m getting red blotchiness on my face, like gin blossoms. And I don’t even drink gin. Oh- and ear hair. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/13 "2014-09-11T17:42:54Z")
I started to notice at about age 60 that if I skipped a shower one day a little body odor would be present. At age 62 deoderant became a staple in my supplies, ( used to be only when visiting extremely humid climates) At 65 I found it easier to get a peta cure I have trouble reaching them now. My ability to jump has decreased to the point where I seldom bother anymore. Hearing is going south. I still don’t use reading classes often but do keep a pair handy in car, office and home. I sometimes tear up when watching sentimental movies or videos. Old ladies actually turn me on more than the young ones. I guess I will stop there. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/14 "2014-09-11T17:46:50Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > Tinnitus - Nobody appreciates how horrible it is until they get it. Even then they can’t appreciate how horrible MINE is because only I can hear it. > > And ear hair. Something bad is going on with ears when we get old. > > I didn’t used to grunt and wheeze whenever I get up from a chair or when I tried to tie my shoes. When did that start? I can’t remember. In fact, what were we talking about? The problem with kids these days? Everything you said. The tinnitus sucks. A hearing aid won’t make it go away, just makes the rest of the world louder. I wish there was something that could be done. Drugs, surgery anything. My 6 year old niece thinks the grunting and groaning is the height of hilarity. You’ll get yours someday missy. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/15 "2014-09-11T17:50:13Z")
This thread is depressing the fucking hell out of me. I’m going outside to jump, while I still can. ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/16 "2014-09-11T17:54:16Z")
Naps. Naps become cruel and vicious, leaping upon you and attacking when you least expect it. You sit down, innocently, on the couch, watching TV, and suddenly… NAP. Its 20 minutes later, someone’s trying to change the program, and I WAS WATCHING THAT, damn kids. Naps are cruel, nasty hunters. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/17 "2014-09-11T17:54:26Z")
None of the above apply to me except creakiness. Women don’t get a lot of ear hair. Thank you Lord. They don’t tell you how freeing getting older is. For so long being run by shoulds and have tos and fussing about Who I Am, I have seen a significant increase in because I feel like it right now got a problem with that? Having experienced enough to be able to say with complete certainty, ain’t no money that could convince me to sign up for\* that\* again. Being able to enjoy small pleasures without needing them to be anything but that. Knowing your limits, being able to avoid pointless pain skillfully and knowing what is worth investing in no matter what it costs. Except for your body falling apart slowly and helplessly, there’s a lot to enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/18 "2014-09-11T18:11:06Z")
I gotta say ear hair really was out of the blue for me. Everybody knows about balding, but I never even heard of such a phenomenon - it was like a second puberty! ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/19 "2014-09-11T18:14:24Z")
When you wake up in the morning, you know you are still alive because something hurts. Ear hair–who cares? Much less sensitive to hot and humid and much more sensitive to cold. Can’t walk down steps without a railing. Beats the alternative. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189/20 "2014-09-11T18:18:45Z")
These kids today- they call that _music_?? Sounds like a lot of noise to me. I find it both alarming and amusing to see how much we end up resembling our parents. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting-old/698189.md?page=2)