to think some retired people completely forget what it’s like to be working full time?

I'm 67 and retired...and my days are busy...but if I have been busy for a couple of hours I think " fuck it" , I'm reading for the rest of the day.
I've earned it!
I'm living my best life and dont care if it pisses off younger folk.

Judged? By who?

What does it matter to you OP. I’m guessing retired people have trod the same road as you and they’ve earnt their retirement.

Yes, to an extent, but I do think some people are just very low energy, and a couple of things that would take someone else an hour or two to polish off in the context of the average week will, for the low-energy person, mentally occupy several days and loom over the entire week. Regardless of age.

I used to have a friend who was exactly my age, late 40s, in good health, and had exactly the same job as me at the same level of seniority. We were both married with children -- though he had one more than I did. He would huff and puff all week about something 'extra' in his week, like taking his children to buy shoes or a parents' evening at school, and appeared to think his Saturday was unusually crammed if he had to take the children to their swimming lesson as well as put away the grocery delivery.

I wouldn't describe myself as particularly high-energy, but he would be absolutely aghast at a weekend that featured normal stuff like having people over for dinner and hosting a few kids on a playdate with DS, or babysitting for a friend and going for a local hillwalk, as well as grocery shopping etc. That for him was several weeks worth of activity.

I think energy changes when older (obvs I may be wrong). All the things that could do when younger / middle aged just aren’t possible. So for someone who is retired maybe one appointment a day is tiring. Also, there could be fact some people who retire miss the chaos of former life and want to seem busy so say, yes am busy etc.

I mean I’m relatively young and friends my age from uni still have primary aged or teenage kids.

but I’m sufficiently disabled that I’m medically retired and actually for me going out and doing the shopping is exhausting to the point I need a nap afterwards.

yes, I remember being able bodied and busy. But equally my life now is also true and I do get tired just from doing a supermarket shop or driving a short distance.

I'm 68 soon. I've suddenly - in the past few months - started to feel really weary and it doesn't take much to make me feel like that. It's a new feeling (despite suffering from chronic, recurrent insomnia for decades), because I used to feel energetic no matter how little sleep or how much I had done from day to day.

Ageing is a shock to the system, OP.

If you’re asking whether or not some people in one situation find it difficult to understand or remember what it’s like to be in a different situation, then: yes.

If you want to make ageist generalisations then: no

Come back in 30 years and tell us how you’re feeling.

Them being busy and tired is no reflection on you op it is fine you are allowed your own busy and tired !

I had this convo with my cousin today. Our DM's both tell us things like we should choose one thing to deep clean every week, go to this shop / cafe / hobby. Neither have ever worked & life has been easy for them time wise. They just don't get what it's like to juggle everything without every day, all day, being free.

My FIL, who worked his entire life until a few years ago, just doesn't care. He calls DH every day with a new demand. I've had to put my foot down on that as we're all burning out.

Yep! My mum has started entering this phase. She retired coming up to four years ago and has suddenly forgotten what it’s like to be actually busy. She’ll call me to tell me she’s got a packed week and she’s so tired, but it’s just lunches and coffee dates. Just a year ago, she was scoffing at her fellow retirees for being like that.

Granted it’s all subjective and definitely relative as you age.

I'm heading for 60 and not retired yet, I'm part time currently. But, speaking only for myself, I can see myself slowing down. Things I would have fitted in before or after work, can now take up half a day or more. Tasks seem to expand to fill the time available rather than me being able to cram more in. 2 or 3 appointments/errands per week would seem quite busy to me now.

I was a single parent working in the office full time before, so I know what truly being busy is! But you will often find me saying now, where has the day gone? Because time just seems to go so fast.

It doesn't take long to get used to whatever life you are living. I don't know how I managed before but I guess I was younger and had more energy and basically just got on with it. Now I'm used to taking my time with things more and I'm knackered!

Not if they're the self-pitying ageist sort, no.

Oh I know, I am being silly.

Don't forget the elderly have so much less stamina and DO get tired much more easily. There is absolutely no comparison in energy levels between 40 & 60.

I'm still working full time at an age which once would have been considered a retiring age (albeit in a much much less demanding job), and I am exhausted by it. Literally in bed by 8pm daily, even at weekends. 20 years ago I'd have gone out after work, or done a supermarket shop, or gone to have my hair done. Now, I stagger in through the front door onto the sofa.

😂😂

I’m old and I know what you mean. I have friends who talk like they are sooo busy and they don’t know how they had time to work. I reality they mean they are shopping, going to the gym, meeting friends for a coffee and gardening. All things we did when working full time. We aren’t busy. Just don’t have as much to think about.

Why should your mum have to remember? this is how she feels NOW

Are her feelings - about herself - less valid that those of a 40 year old with 3 kids?

This is clearly an excuse for yet more MN-sanctioned ageist bullshit so just own it OP

I took early retirement and I do agree with you to a degree. I’m a member of a wellbeing club that meets in the evening and the topic one week was making time for you and recognising that you can’t do everything and working out what was priority. Hearing how those who are working struggled to fit everything in made us realise how quickly you forget. If something doesn’t get done one day, it can get done another it doesn’t matter. I’ve a few friends who are retired and we try to meet up. We often wonder how we had time to work!

OP are you resentful that people are not giving you enough recognition for how busy and tiring your life is?