That's not me

Isn’t it really strange to be the same age as elderly people?

As I’m reading the comments ‘Forever young’ came on the radio. I’m with Lucca ‘elderley’ (hate that word) is anyone about 15 years older than me! (I’m a trombone)

Of course we haven’t Jane. It only happens to other people!?

God that made me laugh GSM, I remember meeting with my cousins and my husband saying 'don't they all look old' as if we hadn't aged at all

My husband refers to a neighbour as ‘the old girl’. She’s younger than me …

I’m approaching 69, perhaps I will think of myself as elderly when my mum dies?
At the rate she’s going I’ve got about 20 years left.

Old, elderly I don't know the meaning of these words!

My Grandma used to visit 'the old lady next door' to check if she was OK

The 'old lady' was younger than my gran!

I think they call older people 'seniors' in Australia.

Sounds much nicer than elderly.

Someone told me that they have stopped using the elderly road sign in the UK as it was offensive to older people. There is still one near us so I don't know whether this is true or not

My late great-grandfather refused to go to the seniors' drop-in center in his community. He called it the "Drop Dead Center" and said it was for "old guys". He was 83

The term geriatric is no longer in use medically as it’s termed offensive
As in all language things change thank goodness

BlueSky

Minerva bless him!

He makes me laugh a lot. Hopefully the laughter is keeping me young

Minerva bless him!

cc. happy Birthday for this Month, I also have a daughter who is 45 My grandchildren are 9 and 4 I just hope I am around a bit longer to see them grow. I also lost weight and did feel a lot healthier until last September when I broke my ankle and had to get around with a Zimmer frame.

I'm an avid reader of novels. I am always shocked when a character of 73 or so is described as a dear old lady of 70...whatever....stumbling along with her walking stick/frame/shopping trolly (usually with a combined seat.

72 and nowhere near elderly. Still bouncing about, planning travel, caring for my own mum who is 101 and for DH as well as GC. Wearing jeggings and knee high boots.

BlueBelle

76 still feel a spring chicken most of the time although I m not stupid and know I m not but hey ho I m happy kidding myself
BUT I m far from geriatric ….by the way when I had my third child at 28 I was called a geriatric mother

Same with my mum. By the measure l was truly ancient in the nineties when l had my third child at 31!?. Many ladies these days do not seem to start their families until they are well into their thirties.
I have just finished reading a book where one of the main characters was repeatedly described as elderly or old at 73 and behaving in a way that we would expect of someone in their late eighties these days but how my grandmother definitely behaved when she was that age. I think we have totally changed our views on what constitutes middle and old age. My grandparents’ generation were elderly at fifty and old by sixty.

Wow TanaMa you put me to shame enjoy your life for many years to come.

Nothing wrong with slowing down and having afternoon naps, some people might enjoy it, there seems to be an obsession with being on the move all the time.

My 7 year old grandson: “you must admit Nanny that at your age you are lucky to be alive” . We had been discussing my upcoming 80th birthday ?

The trouble is that we grew up in an age that idolised youth, and we are still surrounded by the cult of youth.

Look at fashion: how many of the clothes shown in adverts or in the shops would look good, or even suitable on a woman of seventy (my age)? They are designed for young women, barely out of their teens. This would not worry me if it were actually possible to find clothes that looked good on a woman of my age and size (1,62 metres and 56 kg) If I weighed 15 or so kilos more I might just be able to find clothes, but I don't.

The cult of youth insiduous in that it makes the media assume that anyone over 50 is past it, approaching senile dementia and other trials of old age.

Statistics show that only about 5% of those of us who have retired are incapacitated by old age, or any of all the ailments that are constantly talked of.

However, most of us have noticed that we have slowed down a bit, see or hear less well than formerly, no longer feel confident about doing some of the things we used to do without a blink.

On the bright side we have a lot of experience and probably more patience than we did have forty or fifty years ago.

Love all these posts. Age is just a number not a state of mind.

Once we are thought of as being elderly does that mean our bad behaviour gets excused? “When I am old I shall wear purple with red hat which doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me…” etc Jenny Joseph.

I do a litter pick when I walk the dog and a young woman spoke to me and said 'you are a good old soul'! I've just turned 70 but it made me feel 90!

Lucca

Old/elderly is ten years older than I am, and always will be.

Agree Lucca ! And as you say Hetty we only feel old when we are ill.