Do you call yourself old?

I'm not old, I am 18 with 47 years experience

Hi lizzylou my son and wife said I am 'young' for my age for several reasons - I'm not a technophobe [friend mentioned earlier is], still work etc etc. It was merely a discussion on terms. It just made me a bit cross as I may be older but not elderly. All of the Gransnetters seem my type of girls - all e-mailing away, great ideas and great discussions. I love this site and the forums - Mumsnet seems wimpish and cliquey [word?] in comparison. My son and his wife have real arguments with some of the subscribers whereas we seem to support each other.

I think senior , is a much better expression

Grown-up, mature, vintage, or even adult.

Last scene of "gone with the wind " Rhett says frankly my dear I don"t give a damn , and scarlett says tomorrow is another day , to go back to my earlier post

My husband keeps telling me I am old, like him. Well, the numbers back him up - he's 68 and I'm 67 - but I don't care. I refuse to act old, I still dig the garden and play with the dog. Still have hopes and dreams and plans.

He tries to stop me rushing round, and running, and lifting heavy things, but none of these things seems to do me any harm. I don't like have my wings clipped.

Old? Never!! Not me. How can the young 'uns of the magic decade of the 1960s ever be old? Can't happen.Illogical.

Gotto go now and put my teeth to soak......

I couldn't stand to be "senior"Nonu it reminds me of horrid 6th formers at school!

I agree, kittylester - it implies 'rank'. I much prefer 'older woman/lady' as someone suggested previously, but I can't find it now!

Welcome PRINTMISS
Glad to hear someone is in their 80s.
I am definitely old- 81 last month.I think I may be the oldest gran on this site.So what! I'm still open to new experiences -see my latest new thread.I forgot to say that joining Gransnet was one of last year's new events and it's
great.

I agree with Absentgrana that we should reclaim the word 'old'. And why not the same with 'crone'? A friend of mine has been referring to herself as a crone for years and she's younger than me. By crone she means a wise older woman. If age expectancy is 80 then at 69 I must be old now. Don't mind in the slightest.

I draw the line at 'crone'!

I looked up crone in my big dictionary. One meaning is 'cantankerous or mischievous woman' the other 'a withered old woman'. I'm not withered yet but I quite like the first definition.

In 2005 I went with a 4 other older women(members of 'Growing Old Disgracefully UK) to California for a holiday and to attend a gathering of 200 American women who belonged to an organisation-_Crones Counsel_-whose members have an annual gathering in a different state each yea.That year it was in San Diego.We had a fabulous time and were given a very warm welcome by our US sisters.
They use the term 'Crones' proudly with the meaning 'Wise Older Women'

I very often call myself old.
I go into schools quite a lot and to someone under the age of eighteen I do seem really old (I'm 58) and I remember thinking that of older people myself when I was young. I am usually discussing quite personal issues and so I frequently put my understanding in the context of being really, really old - and therefore knowledgeable/experienced etc. Interestingly the youngsters invariable feed back at the end of the session by saying something along the lines of, 'you don't seem old at all'.

Maniac I would never have guessed your age, but the amount of years we have lived should not make us think old. When I was 17 I knew a woman who was 21 and she seemed old to me, not her age but her ways!

You know you are getting old when people start saying 'well you don't look it' on being told your age.

I like vintage.

There really aren't any comforting words to describe being old, elderly, senior, ancient, invisible etc. So couldn't we perhaps refer to ourselves as Wise Women?

I think all Gransnetters are incredibly wise and witty and compassionate and lovely, judging by all the postings I have read. I don't think of any of you as "old" - just my sort of people.

But there are moments when one is brought up short. DH and I have just returned from a whirlwind sojourn in London (three theatres, five art exhibitions, four social engagements, lots of hopping on and off buses - with our invaluable bus passes - and a great deal of walking).

On the last night we got on a post-theatre night bus and two women (who looked the same age as me I thought) immediately vacated the priority seats and insisted we sat down. Then an elderly Asian man helped DH off the bus, taking his arm and behaving most solicitously. DH is only 73 and pretty fit and mobile.

Finally, when we returned to our funny little Dorset station with its beastly bridge, a young man (38 perhaps?) picked up our suitcases as if they were duck feathers and carried them across said bridge "to save you the effort". I have to say this was huge relief. But it was also a terrifying reminder that we really are getting on a bit, however young we might feel inside.