Old Age

[Catmeouws]

Am I being unreasonable to think that I am not old? I am approaching my 60th birthday. Is 60 the end of middle age and the start of old age?

I think the concept of old and young is so individual. My mum is 50, has serious health problems and is old. My friend is 65, works full time, has an active social life, drives to events all over the country and she is young. That’s how I think of it anyway.

I once asked a grandparent and her friend (they were both in their eighties at the time) how it felt to be old. They replied "well, we don't know, we're only 81!" and then they giggled a lot...

But if you don't have your health, you're old regardless of age. I guess it's possible not to be old but to simultaneously not have all that many years left to live (which admittedly is true if you're approaching 60 or 81).

Dont tell my mum that she is 87. I stopped smoking at 40 and that made a huge difference to how old I felt. I became a vegetarian at 50 and that helped too.

No you're not.

I just found an article that claims there are young old, middle old and very old. So most probably I am just young old, and maybe my mum is still just middle old.

I don't think of 60 as "old" no. But as others have said there are people of 60 who act old....my mum has acted old since she was about 65 but she's a smoker and not someone who looks after herself.

I have older colleagues who seem young...and they're in their 70s.

I think my perception of old is 80 plus really.

I'm in my early 60s. I work full time and I'm self employed as well. I drive all over the place, travel abroad and I have friends who are roughly my age, older and loads who are a lot younger. I think age is how you feel not a strict age barrier.

You are right ilovesotty, Compared with previous generations we aret
so lucky. I still have both my parents. Both my mum and my dad hit their prime at 60. My mum was still gorgeous and they both achieved their life times ambitions.

Catmeouws, did you feel younger or healthier when you stopped eating meat?

Like ilovesooty, I'm a full-time worker in my early 60s, but don't feel old. What I notice is the "ooh, it's because you're old brigade" whenever an illness strikes or a limb aches. It's invariably said by others of the same demographic. I'm well aware of age-related ailments, but God it pisses me off to be relegated in this way, as matter of course.

My mums approaching 70 and spent last year camping round Canada (properly in a tent catching fish). Her sister is a year younger and has a rule about 3 activities a week (which includes going for a coffee).
Dm takes my son for a weeks holiday sometimes. They go on adventures, cook, watch films and generally have a whale of a time. But often when I mention it to other people they try to make me feel guilty.
Age isn’t a good indicator about anything.

Of course you're old. So what? Your body is not as robust nor your senses so acute as 20 or even 10 years ago, you're only a few years from pension age, and you've lived much more than half your life by now. (And it's really stretching things to call 59 'middle age'.) So what? Why has 'old' become such a taboo word, an insult? Me, I consider myself lucky to be old in view of the alternative.

Of course 'old' has no precise definition. But neither has 'strawberry blonde': Some people might argue that Vanessa's hair is blonde, some that it's red, and others that it's dull gold--but still, it's generally accepted that strawberry-blonde hair is a thing and that it has a distinct if not perfectly precise meaning. And old or strawberry blonde, depending on health neither is limiting and certainly there's nothing shameful about either.

I wrote on here once about an evening out with my 22 year old daughter and 60 year old boyfriend, and someone wrote that it couldn't have been much fun for my daughter going out with 'elderly' people!

My boyfriend has a full head of hair, with virtually no grey, he's slim, fit, works at a manual job and looks 20 years younger than he actually is, so to read about him being referred to as 'elderly' cracked me up laughing.

The world is changing and people are pushing the boundaries of age all the time. When I was a kid 40 was ancient, and older women had curly perms and wore tweed skirts and sensible shoes. Now you see people in later life wearing what they want, keeping active, and living life to the full and it's great!

My state pension age is 68 and I expect it will go up to 70. I know people who are 80+ who are still enjoying life to the max. However, poor health （at any age) can affect people and families. I watched a program that was in China or Japan where people go to a community centre to start a new career or volunteer in their retirement. Their philosophy is to remain useful in society and keep healthy and enjoy life. People are living longer and with more complex illnesses, that they would have died of 100 years ago. I think that people 80+ are old, but should still be valued

My mum is 73, and her and her partner go touring in a mobile home for most of the year around Europe. She still horse rides, has a wetsuit, cycles to the beach and body boards. She has also just got into paddle boarding, she puts me to shame at 40. Age is just a number, and the best way to combat it, is to stay active.

pp- Is it really stretching things to call 59 middle aged? To me 59 seems perfect for middle age.
How can you be old when you're not even at state pension age yet?
Admittedly, you can get a bus pass at 60 which doesn't help shake the "old" mindset, but really, you've still got years of working age left, and even then when you retire, are you "old"

Older maybe, but old?

Admittedly, you can get a bus pass at 60 No, you can't. It's going up at the same pace as the women's retirement age so it's currently about 64.

I'm 66, and think the same, dress the same and feel the same as I always did. Lounging on the sofa, wearing short shorts and flashing the legs! Old? Moi?

My great aunt who was 90 was asked if she would like to go for a day visit at a local care home. She thought for a minute, and then said, "Would I have to be with those old people?"

Ok, maybe its more up to date in other places? In Scotland its 60, which does seem strange bearing in mind the retirement age.

I was reading a thread the other day where the OP was describing her 50 odd year old neighbours as old. FFS.

60 is middle aged to me OP

I don't think old is a bad concept and it's not something I'm personally scared of becoming. I do think of 60 as being old in a relative sense - I mean, it's a lot closer to 80 than 0! But my mum is 63 and I don't think of her as being old, so who knows.

I'm well aware of age-related ailments, but God it pisses me off to be relegated in this way, as matter of course

I know exactly what you mean echt

I don’t think 60 is old (I’m 29), for most people these days. Obviously poor health can change that.

My parents (ranging from 52-62) are all “younger” people than I remember my grandparents being.

Only have my grandmothers now, one is significantly “older” than the other at 80, despite being born in the same year. Again, it boils down to general health. One grandmother is assumed to be in her late 60’s very often, the other assumed to be late 80’s or even early 90’s just as often.

It does make me seriously consider my lifestyle choices.

Early 60s here and NOT old. Pension age currently 66 for me.