Wrinklies Rise Up

Excellent article by JSP. It made me think about bus passes in particular. My 79 year old Uncle was in hospital for 197 days. My 80 year old Aunt who can't drive, and has no relatives living nearby, visited him on the bus every day.The bus fare for the two buses there, and two buses back each day would have cost her £9 a day. Which if my maths are up to scratch would have cost her a total of £1,773.00. She has worked full-time as a nursing sister, and finally as a Matron all her life, until her retirement. Her bus pass made it possible for her to visit her very sick ageing husband and in a way helped them both. JSP made some excellent points.

Merlot You should have had him for breakfast Cheeky B*****!

Well, this wrinkly nearly rose up and socked the lad on the checkout at Aldi this morning. I know their ethos is to get everyone through as quickly as possible so no help with packing etc., etc., but I don't have a problem with that as I like to get a move on.

I had my head down, piling my shopping on to the conveyer belt when I realised he was calling to me, 'Hello?' rather condescendingly. I asked him what was wrong and apparently I was leaving gaps in between my items. Yes! That would be because every time the conveyer moves a bit.....there's a little gap. When it came to my turn I put my two bags for life into the trolley. They are wide and fit exactly so all I have to do is chuck stuff in. Oh dear, he did not like that one bit and explained to me VERRRRRRRRY SLOOOOOOOWLY and LOUDLY that shopping must be packed at the back of the store using the special shelf. I told him I was chucking, not packing and in any case, the YOUNG lady in front of me had taken her time packing her shopping very carefully without being nagged. 'Oh did she?' he said, 'I didn't notice'

I felt like saying, 'Could that be because you were too busy looking at her tits pretty cotton top?

Galen I'm sure that is true!

I'm irreplaceable

So true Ana and we have found retirement very fulfilling but it does seem to require a great deal of stamina! Just found out that he has added something to the diary and we are out again tonight!

I think if you are lonely then working on might be a good thing but if you have lots of friends, are active and ready to try new things then, whatever your age, if you had enough money why work? There are many other ways of having a purpose to your life than going to work.

The language.

But at least they speak he language Greatnan!

Joan - I love your poem.
I am 72 and have been retired for 13 years. I have more energy now than I had at 50 and I am never bored. I doubt if many people of half my age could keep up with me on my very steep, long, mountain walks. Too many generalisations are made about older people. We are all very different.
My daughter has six children and she and her husband worked very hard to support them. Four are now independent and they will all become very useful members of society. Of course, they still fall into one of the most despised groups - they are immigrants!

Yes, I think I'd get bored, too. Not quite ready for retirement yet...

I've tried retiring, twice. Once when DH was alive. We both tried it. After sailing for 8weeks, we got bored and started to work part time again.

Ah, but you're lucky enough to have your DH around to share the enjoyment, Moved. It must be harder for widows/widowers or singles with no family.

I think you may be in the minority Galen. If we'd known how good it is to be retired we might well have done it earlier.

I'm 68. I still work. I don't need to but I enjoy it.
(Even when I'm sworn at as I was yesterday)

I think most people, whatever age, work for the money and if they could live as well without it would probably do so! I did say 'most'

Meant half of people in their sixties.

Riverwalk I accept that there must be many over 60s who work for financial reasons - after all, nearly half of people over 60 are below State Pension age.
But JSP presented over 60s working as a lifestyle choice, rather than a necessity.
I don't think that older people shouldn't work, if that's what they want or need to do.
But I feel more strongly that all young people deserve an opportunity to work, which is denied to many of them for a variety of reasons.
I found JSP's comment that the young should sod off, at the same time as calling for greater recognition for older people, crass and insensitive.

Love it, joan - we should have a thumbs up emoticon.

Rock onJoan

As soon as I reached 50, I began receiving catalogues selling big knickers and frumpy clothes, and adverts for funeral cover. People began calling me 'dear'. I am 63 and most of my friends are around the same age. Most of my crowd look more like Joanna Lumley than Mrs Merton. I am a lot fitter than a lot of young people I know. I saw someone I hadn't seen for a long time recently who is a couple of years younger than me and she said 'don't we get a lot of aches and pains at our age'. Well, no actually I don't.

I objected when my local London council advertised

'Chair-based exercises for the Over 50s' !!

Jane I can't imagine that there are many 60-plus who are working for the fun of it - mostly people work because they have to.

A couple of years ago my local upmarket supermarket started to advertise the smaller trolleys as suitable for use by OAPs. I objected in store to that and it was quickly removed. All age groups were using it, especially if a small amount was being bought and the items were maybe too heavy for placing in a basket.

joan, yay!

Joan...that is excellent, good for you!