OMG, am mortified/horrified and shocked...........

[CleverLemonCat]

Young neighbours have just moved in next door. This morning (wasn't eavesdropping, honest) heard a relative ask if they had met any of their neighbours, oh yes they replied...there is a nice old woman next door. Old? I'M ONLY 63!!

This got me wondering if I was giving off 'old lady' vibes.

Possible indications:

I occasionally glance in a shop mirror and wonder why my mum is there dressed in my clothes.
My pubic hair is disappearing, and seems to be making it's way to my chin
Last week I bought 3 lovely geraniums
Last year I bought and planted a hydrangea in my garden
After a couple of tiny accidents, am wondering if I should buy some tena lady knickers.
Caught myself wondering if I should crochet a bed jacket ...it can be chilly in bed whilst reading a book!
Am having actual conversations with my cat
My box room is stuffed with wool ' just in case'
This morning, completely out of the blue found myself singing the song from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and I CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD.
Jumped - in my motor-car - and bought 3 more geraniums

Indications I am not old:

Ermm, I am young in my head!

I am not being unreasonable, you are in your prime!
I am unreasonable. You are heading into old biddy territory!

@Gingerbee have you not heard that phrase before?

At least they didn’t say ‘miserable’ old ‘bag’
nice old lady to someone that age could be anyone 40 plus tbh, I’d be focussing on the ‘nice’ not the old

I have grandchildren
I love garden centres
Don't go clubbing
I have a massive stash of wool
I talk to my house plants
My bladder is knackered
I'm early 50s
I don't look my age, some people mistake me for mum of said grandchildren
I have funky coloured hair
I still go to heavy metal gigs
Sadly no garden for geraniums but live vicariously through friends
Bloody love life
OP, thanks for the smile, I love the way you write 🌺

Yes, people,body hair, underarm, public,arms, legs eye brows and lashes,stops growing being re-newed probably late 60s for me. My head hair although a lot thinner still grows fast and so do my very strong finger and toenails

Well, woke up this morning to find that 66% have agreed that IANBU so nah,nah to those youngsters who think I am old (blows raspberry).

Admit that I am actually a bolshy post-menopausal woman who wont take any crap, but cover it well, will maintain nice old lady facade unless nuclear bolshy attitude is needed.

Young man may think I have made inappropriate advances as he seemed very alarmed when I offered him rhubarb picked from allotment this morning (do young people know what rhubarb is?) Anyway, smoothed things over by offering use of lovely new lawn mower until he gets his own.

To those concerned over loss of public hair, confirm that things started getting 'a little sparce' upon hitting the age of 60.

At same time looked in mirror to find one morning that my face had collapsed and what appeared to be 'jowls' had appeared.

Son started ringing me when ice due the next morning to warn me not to go out as ' I MIGHT HAVE A FALL - am now paranoid when out walking.

Positive is DS now invites me for lunch!

To those concerned over loss of public hair

Public hair? Is this an autocarrot thing or are we secret flashers?

Lol.. didnt spot typo! Am def not flasher. What is an auto carrot?

AmaryllisNightAndDay - have just realised auto carrot may come across as a bit snarky. Not intended, it made me laugh!

I really hope my pubes starts diminishing. I can virtually plait the fuckers.

I assume that's a joke. Why would they check when you're nearly 70? 😂

Autocarrot = autocorrect. I should stop trying to be modern

You'd feel older in Scotland, our 50th birthdays are welcomed with a little envelope for bowel screening.

I saw an elderly lady recently on our local news celebrating her 111th birthday! So I really think we don’t have to think of ourselves as old in our 60’s ☺️

I work in a secondary school and one of the children told me recently that I was their favourite teacher. I was very touched until she followed with 'you remind me of my Nan'. Um ... thanks?

Ah true suppose winter gloves are practical. I assumed the poem was from an older era where women wore gloves all the time so they would be a necessity!

. . . and when/why does the language change from falling over to 'having a fall'?

The minute someone says I've had 'a fall' I'm going to inwardly seethe.

I haven't had 'a fall', I just tripped over/fell over/slipped!!! 😆

That's me told then! I know the words to most of them as well - we had the soundtrack on vinyl when I was a child.

My DH was asked for ID when buying beer in the US.
He's 70!

Look on the bright side, when they start going from the middle you can do a comb-over....or maybe that's just mine.

@VeronicaBeccabunga I’m a few years younger than the OP but being called sweetheart in shops and the ‘you are over 18 aren’t you’ really pisses me off. I always challenge shop assistants when they use infantilising language and send an email of complaint to head office.
I run/walk 5 miles most days, swim, climb, cycle, am not overweight and I’m probably fitter than many people half my age. I think the pandemic did a lot to reinforce ageism by deeming anyone over 60 as vulnerable.

63 is NOT old

63 is old-er

You are old-er, OP, BUT NOT OLD

When you are 73 you will be old-er than 63 but not old

When you are 83 you will be old

When you are 93 you will be elderly

I always used to take a simplistic approach to it - given we live to 90ish, give or take, then the first third is young, the second third middle aged and not until over 60 are you old. But….I started taking this view when I was around 40. However, now I’m in my early 50s I’m not so sure 😂

I used to go to WeightWatchers with my sister. One week I went on my own as she was working and the lady at the desk asked if my daughter was coming. My sister is six years younger than me but I didn’t think I looked old enough to be her mother.

@Tryingtokeepgoing we do not live to 90ish on average. The median age for women to die is 82 years old.

People over 60 were more vulnerable to covid. This was about the number of receptors you have and is simple biology. Being fit makes you less vulnerable, but it does not cancel out ageing.