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!

Twas ever thus. When you were young, someone in their 60s seemed ancient.

Are hydrangeas old lady territory? I am 52 and have created an entire hydrangea bed. If it’s wrong, I don’t want to be right.

55 isn't middle aged, not many people live to 110.

But, OP, is it the old or the nice that gets you? Bring out the purple!

I'm older than you @CleverLemonCat but I'm not old yet. Old age is always 5 years older than one's current age.

I'm not wearing purple with a red hat yet. But I've conquered some of the other things mentioned. And definitely making up for 'the sobriety of my youth', but in ways other than drinking too much lol.

https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/warning/

Haha. I remember being 14 and thinking that everyone over 24 looked past it! The arrogance of youth.

something else to ponder OP,

at our age, we 'have a fall'

younger people fall over!!

You sound like my kind of neighbour OP! (Another old biddy here @ 65)

Be reasonable, OP - when you were their age, you'd have called a 63 year old person "old" as well! I'm nearly 59, and I'm happy to be described as "old"because 1) that's what I am and 2) there's nothing wrong with being old - it means you have maturity, experience and wisdom!

How about gladioli? To me they’re a particular type of aged-person flower - who doesn’t necessarily look like Edna Everage. (Particularly if they’re that horrible salmon pink colour.).
I dug some salmon-pink ones up from the front garden not long ago - planted by the former owners of the house, at least 30 years ago. I’d wanted to do it for ages.

Yes it is, because we all intend to do so!

I'm not at all old.

I still rock my size 10 skinny jeans and trendy boots with pride
I have very active hobbies and am better than averagely fit
I love going out with my many pals for Prosecco and pizza (or whatever .....)
I can operate all the latest tech and a love a smart watch/iPad etc etc
I can walk for miles with my dog every day
I have a profitable side hustle which earns me a nice amount of "fun money"

... nope, not old at all.

I'm 70 .....

When we moved into this house, we were the “babies”, the young twenty somethings. I am now the old lady and I’m just in my early 50s. Some people say I look younger but for all these new comers I am still ancient 😁

God please tell me you didn’t show the neighbours your sparse pubic hair!!!!

Well, there’s a donation box in the local supermarket to support over 55s.

I was fanatical about buying plants & yarn in my twenties. Maybe I've always been old.

Bed jackets are sue a comeback in the energy-conserving times. Hydrangeas are lovely. That's all I've got. 🤷🏼‍♀️

About 80% of your post applies to me and I'm ONLY 56 😂
I thought talking to cats was mandatory!

oh dear, I have been buying geraniums for years ! and now i am only 63 :)

and as for talking to the cat, well...

I have 3

Just remember:

With age comes wisdom. With wisdom comes the knowledge that one can be "old" at 36 and "young" at 72.

To be fair anyone under 25 is simply classed as “infant” to me now. I’m 48. I’m amazed when I see “infants” unaccompanied in pubs.

Being old both is and isn’t a problem; 63 isn’t necessarily old, varies from person to person. Demographically it is.

My team is younger than me, the youngest has kindly told me I’m not ‘old like our boss’ (boss is 3 years older than me). I am aware I’m no spring chicken, I don’t think I look my age but am old enough that I don’t care. Will continue to occasionally wear purple, talk to myself in the supermarket and talk to my cats, along with being an embarrassment to my now adult kids.

😂excellent post.

As someone 30 years younger than you, I get called old by people in their 20s who think life stops at my age

I wanna be you when I grow up! 💛

Signed--an 70-year-old without your many talents and skills.😬

Crochet is wildly popular amongst the yoof of today.

I recently hosted four teens from Nigeria for two weeks and they all crocheted and they all wanted to buy wool while they were over here.

So I don't think that makes you old...

In Glasgow in the 1980s you would have been old. In the south of England in 2024 I know at least one man who became a Dad for the first time at your age. I have no idea what age is any more.