I am in my early 20s and I can’t possibly imagine myself ever being an old person. Just the thought of it kind of scares me. I think that when I get older I am going to always think about the average life expectancy and dread being 80.
So. What’s it like to be old? (50 or 60+, I guess) Could you ever picture yourself at that age? Did it feel like it took a long time to get there? How did you change from when you were young?
All details welcome.
I don’t know either (I’m 25), but I just came in here to say, I am really excited to be old someday. For one thing, I love wrinkles, and the idea that someday I’m going to be all wrinkly is awesome. For another thing, most old people I know sit around all day and do crossword puzzles, watch TV, pet their cat, and never talk to anyone. It sounds AWESOME. I can’t wait until my age matches my preferred lifestyle.
I’m 64, and was enjoying my age and retirement until fairly recently when a couple of medical issues came up. Our bodies are so resilient, I’d sorta been thinking that mine would last longer without much attention. Doesn’t happen. Take care of yourself and aging can be great.
My favorite part is not working full-time. Life without job stress is amazing.
I’m 53. Not quite old, but getting seriously close, ha! Let’s see, my feet and ankles hurt (gout), my right knee hurts (old injury), my hips hurt (arthritis). I’m short and fat and it’s a race to see if my hair turns all gray and white before I go bald. OK, I’ve always been short. I have coronary artery disease, heart failure, stents in some of my arteries, and I take 14 pills a day. They want me to go in for some more tests. I’m all wrinkly and my nose is crooked, but my dentist says I should die with my own teeth (YAY!). I’m hoping I can last long enough to cash at least one Social Security check. All in all, life is great.
I’m 61. You have to grow older, but you can act immature your entire life. As for how long it took to get here: It seems like yesterday that I was boarding a flight for Vietnam. While I know that was 40 years ago, it in no way seems like that much time has gone by.
I work out more than I did at 40 or 50. I’m certainly smarter than I was at 20 or 30. If you don’t change from age 20 to age 60, then you’re doing something very, very wrong.
Other changes: my face looks nothing like it did when I was young, of course. I still have my hair (it’s gray now) and my teeth (they have more silver and gold). I have to wear glasses full time now. I have arthritis in both thumbs from a lifetime of working with tools. It’s harder to lose weight. I take medications for blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. My knees really don’t like having to hoist my ass up from a squatting position. On the other hand, I don’t let petty bullshit bother me much anymore, I’m thrilled with my spouse, I don’t owe anybody anything and hopefully never will again, and despite the meds am pretty damned healthy.
Biggest perk: I’m retired, and no, I never thought that day would come.
It’s better than the only other option.
Surprisingly, not all that bad.
You calm way down about minor shit you used to freak about. Just another little pain in the ass. Suck it up and drive on.
You enjoy the hell out of life’s more accessible comforts. Extra helping of meat at dinner, two cold beers to wash it down with, scalding hot bath followed by sex with my beautiful wife. Asleep by 10:00, sleeping in 'til 8:00. What king had more?
What you lose in stamina, you gain in guile. Not a bad trade-off. What you’ve got right now is perfect for who you are right now – enjoy it. What you’ll have later will suffice nicely for what you’ll want out of life later – don’t fear it.
I’m very much looking forward to being old. My family tends to live to ripe old ages with all faculties intact, so that’s good, and I plan on being an impossible old queen.
It sucks to be old, unless you’ve already got your life all set.
Let’s face it being over 40 means bending over to tie your shoe and saying to yourself “I wonder what else I can do as long as I’m down here.”
I never thought I’d have any problems but boy it’s a different world over 40. I’ve had people say “Gee you’re so handsome, but I don’t go out with old guys.” I’ve never been out of work more than 4 days till I hit 40, then it it was like with 20+ of exeperience I was last in line.
I guess if you got money in the bank, already have a relationship etc etc, it’d be fine, but if you can’t find all that stuff by the time you’re 40, you’re in for some huge shocks.
Physically you just can’t do things. Each year you hold the book a bit farther from your face to see it. I remember even when I was 35, I could go to bed at 5am and get up at 7am and go to work, then make up the sleep. Now if I don’t get at LEAST 8 hours a night, I HURT. I mean I physically HURT.
It’s harder to meet people. Older people have already got their friends and they tend to stick with them.
There’s a lot of truth to the saying “Make hay while the sunshines.”
Finally, the absolute worst thing is there is no time to recover. For instance, if you’re under say 40, you can lose everything and still have time to start over. Cut your loses regroup.
Damn you! Beat me to it.
My paternal grandfather was riding bicycles with his grandchildren when he was in his 80s; he lived to his early 100s and didn’t really decline until his last couple of years.
I’m 65 and retired. I spend my nights watching movies with my husband and then staying on the computer while he sleeps. During the days I sleep in or play Bridge at the club after lunch. Two or three times a year I get together with my roommate from college and go to the beach or sit in her garden or run around Nashville. She was a beauty queen and cheerleader. Now I buy two of everything in the same size.
My joints hurt more, but it’s worth the confidence. My vision is worse, but I see more.
Sometimes I forget that I am old. Just yesterday I was thinking that I might move to Ireland someday. Then I thought, “You silly girl. You can’t do that in this life. You have a husband and family here.”
Then I actually said aloud: “I wanna do it again!”
I turned 60 last December. I don’t feel 60 most days. However, there are moments. Especially when my eternally 21 year old brain makes a promise my body can’t keep any more. 
Oh. My. Fucking. God. I’m considered old. When I’m through sobbing, I’ll get back to you!
OK, that hurt.
No, I NEVER imagined myself being old. I can remember figuring out how old I’d be in 2000, which seemed light years away, I was 43. I thought THAT would be ancient! Honestly, I don’t feel a lot different. It creeps up on you. I don’t like the lines and the looseness that is my body and used to be devastating instead of devastated and I can’t do all the things I used to be able to do, gymnastics, sexnastics but it’s not that bad. I have a MUCH better handle on what’s really important in life. I’d go back to that body but not that brain! Enjoy it! It doesn’t last long!
Its like being young, but worse 
It went by so fast I’m not sure I remember my thirties at all! I’m turning 52 next week, and I really feel like I’m just getting started, just hitting my stride. I wish I had taken better care of my body (Just Say No To Marching Band and extra helpings)but the physical changes aren’t a huge deal to me…I wasn’t one of those people who had my whole being wrapped up in my appearance. So what if my boobs are a bit droopy…they fed two children very well, and I don’t regret a second of it…and they still are pretty nice despite it all! A few wrinkles…who cares? The pain I could live without, but I can deal with never running again, never jumping down from a ledge again…all those things were over-rated, anyhow!
The best part is not being so damned hyper about little things anymore. I would not go back to being a teenager or a twenty-something again…all that drama back then was a pure waste of energy! I’m more confident in my abilities, and more realistic about my short-comings. I’m happier with simpler things, and I find joy in so much more these days. I don’t think I know it all anymore, and that’s a good thing, because now I have the room in my brain to learn…and half the time I discover that, hey, I DO know it all! It’s so much fun to be able to look at, say, a building, and know what style it is, or what that little detail is called, just because I’ve been around long enough to learn it! To be able to take on a task and do it well, just because I’ve been doing it for so long that it is second nature. To still be overjoyed to learn something new, and to want to take the time to learn it.
I never remember being afraid to get old…I wonder where your fear comes from? Dying isn’t something I’m looking forward to, but it doesn’t scare me either. I guess I never thought being young was all that great to begin with…grown-ups always have all the fun, anyhow, in the ways that actually matter!
Oh, and sex is sooooo much better now!
I’m 49 and my first reaction was “can I slap this child?”
I feel great, I’m in good shape, nothing hurts yet and having (with any luck) decades of this wonderful retired life ahead of me is so much more exciting than the idea of revisiting my twenties or thirties would be. You younger people have things that you have to accomplish and goals that you have to achieve and lives and futures that you have to figure out and pay for, and I already did all that and had lots of fun to boot. Now I get to coast, relax and have a different kind of fun. What looks boring at 20 isn’t boring to us any more than some of what looks juvenile to us is boring to you. As others have said, you get much more comfortable with yourself and life in general and don’t sweat the small stuff so much as you get older.
I remember being a little kid and realizing that I would turn 40 in the year 2000 and that seemed unimaginably old but I never gave it much thought after that. At 40 I figured I better quit doing nonprofit work that I loved and make some real money again so I could retire early but that was about the only age-driven choice that I ever made.
I am almost 50 and in the best health of my life. Currently I work out at least 4-5 times a week and run over 30 minutes at a 10 minute mile. Both my wife and I are in the top 20% for our age group. It is our strong belief that if you take care of yourself in your 30’s and 40’s that we can ride out the 50’s and 60’s. Time will tell right?
I am currently (even with the current shitty economy) inline to retire in 6 years. We live way below our means and put a ton of money away for our retirement. If I had any advice for a young person it is to put away money NOW–the power of compounding is your friend!
So to answer your question–it is great! I am married to a beautiful woman who means everything to me. I have a wonderful child who is my everything. What is not to like?
I look very forward to my actual retirement. I very much enjoy my current profession, but I do look forward to the days when my time is my own.
I turn sixty-five in June. I’m retired after a full life of working in education. Sixty-four is not too bad. Like other sixty-four-year-olds, there are some age related health issues - high cholesterol, hypertension, blockages in the arteries and the like. I’m still the same weight I was when I completed basic training in the US Army. I get around without pain, which is a blessing. I don’t get breathless while walking up a hill. I don’t run or jump or lift heavy things but I walk my dog every morning at a meandering pace for three quarters of an hour. My wife and I own our home and owe nothing to banks or anyone else. We have children who communicate regularly and stop in to stay with us from time to time. In summary, old age is a welcome relief from the stresses and strains of parenting, family rearing and career advancement.
Having said that, there are some for whom aging is not so easy. To justify to myself my own somewhat comfortable circumstances, I volunteer for Meals on Wheels, delivering to those unable to cook or shop for themselves.
All the elderly vounteers at the hospital do crossword puzzles and word games in the holding room between vounteer service calls. I’m 26 and everyone else near my age (not retired, out of work, can’t find paying job) are sitting across from them and probably wondering the same thing. Will I look like him?! What will it be like? It does get pretty lively with the word games. I guess it’s kind of fun.
Not fucking bad!
See you on the Face, pock-mark!