avantages of getting older

I've noticed the white van men don't cut me up as much when I'm driving. the sight of my white head over the steering wheel seems to worry them for some reason

There is always the worry about health issues - arthritis, two replacement hips, just recovering from tendonitis in left arm and left knee becoming a bit dicky! DH has prostate cancer - early diagnosis and on a health watch programme but we enjoy our family, get about as much as possible. He is chairperson of the local prostate cancer group and I have recently become a school governor. Getting out and about is important, helping with the grandchildren and making sure that we enjoy as much of life as we can before we reach the stage of dementia, ill-health or meeting our maker!

When I was standing up on a very crowded bus in Barcelona recently, a commanding lady took it upon herself to berate a couple of kids sitting down with their mother and gently shove guide me into the seat they vacated. That felt so good.

Not feeling guilty about reading on the sofa for an entire day. Not caring what other people think. Embarrassing your adult children by the fact you're quite happy to talk to complete strangers. Being a wally with your GDs who say you are a fun granny.

Oh Teatime you have said exactly what I am thinking. I miss exactly the things you miss. How did the productive part of my life go by so fast?
Retirement would be great if I ran a B&B or had a couple of horses or even if somebody gave me a couple of children to look after that lived with me. None of the above are possible for me. This would give deadlines, structure and meaning to life instead of which after always working full time and having raised four children I am scrabbling a round to find meaningful ways to fill my time.
Still at least car insurance is much cheaper when you are older!

Teatime and meadowgran - I don't suppose you are nearly as unproductive as you seem to think. Everything is just different when you are older so we need a different yardstick.

Not there yet! I'm 70, and we became Legal Guardians to two of our grandsons (then aged 4 months and 4 years) ten years ago.
I wouldn't change a thing!

I'm there. No sodding doubt about it.

Free prescriptions!!!

Here in Huddersfield the bus pass doesn't jump into action till 9.30 : an excellent reason not to leap out of bed too early !

Good for you Kitty Ann. We had our Gch in loco parentis for 5 years. We enjoyed it....apart from getting very tired. We now have such a good relationship with them and they come home every weekend.

Keep up the good work.

My thoughts agree with PPP. It is the growing old that is the problem, not stopping paid work. My DH and I worked a large plot of land and grew vegetables and fruit for selling at Farmers' Market and other outlets until we were in our 70s. Then we got old. I am now 84 and have lived longer than than my Dad, my Mum, and my DH. Can't walk the woodlands now, can't bend to weed the garden, BUT I CAN listen & talk, read, write, talk on the phone, send e-mails to all my friends and family. I try to keep in touch with old friends and and starting to trace old friends that I have lost touch with.

Absolutely Notso

I agree, getting old is definitely better than the alternative. I am taking it slowly, being careful to take any medication prescribed for me, trying to exercise by walking every day, staying in touch with family and friends and enjoying my Granddaughter as often as distance allows.

I think you have to define ' getting older '. At 54 I'm obviously older than when I was 25. But maturity has bought me a sense of realising the world does not revolve around me and that being interested in other people is enriching to your own life. I enjoy meeting and talking to new people. I used to be much too much self conscious and wouldn't stand up for myself but I do now !

I assumed it meant past retirement age.

Angela I totally agree about being less self conscious! I have a few more years than you and chat to anyone quite comfortably now. I used to be very shy and self conscious. I find out so much about total strangers and it is fascinating. Also I am not afraid to stop and listen to buskers who are 'good' and tell them so afterwards. I am not beyond having a singalong or even a 'boogie' in the street (at least when my DGC are with me!!)

As previously posted I have very little time to be "me" due to childcare duties but I am quite happy to turn into a dotty old woman as I feel my previous life did nothing but drag me down. meadowgran "deadlines, structure and meaning" being the main culprits.

I have had my share of physical problems which brought me down temporarily but luckily I can still get about so I know I am very lucky!

Teatime

As you worked for the NHS, like I did, why not join your local NHS Retirement Fellowship.

DH and I belong to ours and we have a monthly meeting with a speaker, a computer group, bowls (indoor and out) organised walks, theatre trips, days out trips and holidays.

We don't partake in everything but you pick and choose.

I'm with those who say not having to worry about fashion and so on. I also agree that it's "better than the alternative."

Teetime, I'm sorry you miss your old life so much, but it just goes to show that it was a good one. Perhaps you can take some comfort in that.

You may just need more time to adjust to your new life and discover a new you. What do they say? To "reinvent yourself." But for now, hugs!

The good thing about getting older is that all your contemporaries are getting older too. So you are not alone. When I was younger, the NHR,as it was then, was for young mums; now our group is mostly full of retired professionals who were once young mums. Our outlook on life, however, has not changed very much, though we do show pictures of our GC! The difficult thing about growing old(er) is remembering not to talk to our GC about 'when I was your age'. They really don't want to hear about life in the 1950s.

I also never use the phrase " in my day". THIS is my day. I'm still here after all.

I retired 6 years ago and the advantages are (things I don't miss)

Crowded buses coming home in the evenings (I worked in the city centre).
Attending meetings where I didn't a clue what anyone was talking about
Being sent on 'training courses' in my '50s.
Listening to puffed up colleagues wittering on about rubbish
Working with people I didn't like. (I still meet up with those I did like)
Enforced socialising such as 'if you don't come to the Christmas do, it will look bad for you'
Being patronised by higher grades
Crowded shops at Christmas
Feeling intimidated into going on strike occasionally
Lying awake worrying when I thought I had made a mistake
Getting up at 6 in the morning
Trying to fit in shopping, housework etc with working full time.

Things I do miss -

erm......oh yes, sometimes we had cakes for birthdays [cake]

or

i'm still working part time, starting a new job next week.
I think the thing i love most about getting older is that this in now 'me time'. I had my children very young, then cared for my grandchildren, then 12 years ago moved away. I missed them all like mad for a few years but now I love the freedom I have to live my own life. Then when I do go back to visit it is so special. I get out and about more now then I ever did

I don't work for money but have reconstructed a (less arduous) working week with voluntary work combined with a language course and various exercise classes. In voluntary work there is all the stimulation, learning, companionship and sense of achievement of paid work with about a quarter of the difficult politics and frustrations.

I love the grandparenting too but can't wait till I never have to hang out in a playground ever again - about 6 years according to my calculation.