For refusing to

Join WI? No. no
Play Bingo? No, no, no
Stop wearing jeans? Why? I live in mine ...
Stop colouring your hair? Only when you feel like it, toothfairy. I did, about a year ago, and, as I posted on another thread, have had more compliments on my hair colour since I went 'natural' than I ever did when 'blonde'. But that's just my personal experience, and I dithered for a couple of years before taking the plunge! Do whatever you feel is right for you and don't let yourself be pressured!

Cheers raggygranny,My daughter says i have "grown old disgracefully"
and hopes to do the same,
Cant let go of the 'blonde' yet,working on it

I agree with you both!
I'd only add 'Act my age' to your list!

Quite right nanafrancis,i tend to act my 'shoe size' n not my age

I did stop colouring my hair, then saw some photos of myself! So started again and have had a really positive feedback. I wouldn't mind if my hair was white but it is a hard grey and I felt unattractive with it. When I was in my 50's I thought you shouldn't wear jeans when you're over 60 years - well I love my jeans and so do my friends love theirs and we ain't giving them up yet. I'd hate to join some 'oldie' club and have resisted doing so, I am not a 'bingo' type. A friend of mine was looking into sheltered housing, to be honest she doesn't need any care it was purely for economic reasons. Unlike me she doesn't own her flat. I was horrified at the size of the so called flats and although she is 66 yrs old doesn't seem as elderly as the residents in these places. Unless I'm infirm and/or a burden you will never catch me in sheltered housing or a home.

Good for you, toothfairy...who says you had to do those things if you didn't want to...growing old disgracefully is wonderful, do it your way!!!

Join the WI – I went to see the most glorious production of Calendar Girls with the marvellously funny Lesley Joseph last Saturday (it's currently touring the provinces) and if WI members are anything like the ones from Skipton, I'd be tempted to join. Apparently, you don't have to like plum jam.
I hate bingo.
I like the colour of my hair but can never remember what it's called when I need to renew it.
I virtually live in jeans and have done so for best part of my adult life. I have, however, given up short skirts on those occasions when I need to look relatively smart in favour of longer length dresses.
Much too cold a wind where I live to go topless outside.

I think we're all entitled to grow old disgracefully. I'm not sure where I could begin my list of what I won't do given the rather bizarre lifestyle I lead but certainly the WI and Bingo would feature very highly. As would cardigans, sensible old lady shoes and "acting my age".

Pandemonia...ditto!

And ditto again.

Mind you I do one thing that could be considered typically 'old' - I have become a gardener. I have an organic garden where I grow as much food as I can, and I keep chickens. Well, we're on the basic pension so it helps us eat really well, but my husband thinks I'm a bit peculiar because gardening was the last thing I thought of when I was younger. In the end he told our friends I'd only taken up organic gardening because I had read about it, and mistook organic for orgasmic!!

The other thing I do is going to my writers' group run by U3A. I didn't want to go at first because I thought they'd all be staid old fogies, but they are a right radical lot. I'm writing a play, acting in an extract from "The Importance of being Ernest", and have written stories, poems, and even a comedy dialogue. I love my writers' group!

shut up
disappear and blend in
conform
much the same as when I was younger then!

Grow old gracefully not on your life (nor in mine) I would be lost without
my 501s
my black boots
blonde hair (nice & easy 98)
old black leather bag (fabulous)cost £120.00) 30 yrs ago (when I had
money)
and last but not least my newly aquired bus pass !

Absolutely amazed by people who think the WI is an "oldie club". Obviously it's beginnings in the country and its role in being women's lib before the the modern women's lib took place must be very hidden. Perhaps the previous granset postees are not from the country. WI is a vibrant countrywide organisation; we are all ages, not just grans! Our national conferences have public debates and our campaigns bear fruit "Keep Britain Tidy" "Farmgate Milk Prices" "The disappearing honeybee" We have new mothers, slightly older members and a few old members. Don't refuse - give it a go toothfairy; you'd be surprised how many WI members go to meetings in jeans and colour their hair. And as for the toplesss in the garden bit ...........well those Calendar Girls showed us all the way!!! And you'd have loved being in the Albert Hall and joining Tony Christie to see "Is that the way to Amarillo" a few years ago.

If Tony Christie cant find his way to Amarillo after all this time he is in the right place at the Albert Hall with the WI,how boring is he ?

He looked quite good and, despite his age, not at all boiring!!!

I thought Tony Christie had died,or is that my memory playing me up, is that a sign of advancing age? Enough of that, I refuse to admit that I am getting old, i do draw the line at mini skirts though, or thongs, comfort underwear for me. I have been known to occasionally wear a pair of magic knickers, only for important events like my youngest sons wedding. I also dye my hair and wear jeans, and avoid the 'Classic' section in marks and spencers. I also joined, only for a year, World of Warcraft on my pc, and admit to thoroughly enjoying it. That really impressed my grandson.

I refuse to curl up and die.

I have invites to clubs and gatherings that mainly consist of over 60's. I'm sorry but I am not eager to join in with alot of 'oldies'. Keeping young at heart is not helped by mixing overly with more of your own age. I try really hard to still appeal to younger age groups - even if its only the younger members of the family. Until a few years ago I taught 16 - 18 year olds and took great comfort in being able to get on with them on their level when needed. They certainly kept me young!

Colouring hair is fine as long as you have the complexion to go with it.
Colour and wrinkles don't mix and definitely not blond or black!

I did try it eGT a few years ago when i became a widow,sat for an hour listening to one member talk about her 'amazing' holiday climbing the Amazon or some such mountain!! Knew it wasn't for me when asked to read the prayer,declined on the grounds i'm an atheist and was completely ignored for the rest of the meeting.
As for GANGY5,Ageist or what

No Vindiboy. Just keep breathing in and out.

I have never joined WI
Never played bingo
Never dyed my hair
And I never wear jeans (my favourite trousers are made from old curtains and have huge pockets)

My greatest compliment was from my husband when I said that I was going to become an eccentric in my old age and his answer was ,"What do you mean 'become'?" and I thought - yeh! made it! Will admit to playing Bingo but only with a crowd of friends to raise money - ever looked at some of these numbers and their possible meanings? That and a few glasses of wine..................need I say more. Have dyed my hair, but gone back to white as it's in vogue now. Prefer to mix with friends who are only too ready to laugh at themsleves and anything in general. I like to act my knicker size - 10! and 'no' I don't wear these cheese wires called thongs - I draw the line.

Thongs! At first I thought it was a spelling error. Grief...how can anyone find such a garment comfortable? I adore my Sloggis...knicker drawer full of them...only white and natural, mind. All my prettiest, laciest, raciest numbers from yester-year are stored in a silk nightdress case. The majority are a size 8/10 and I'm now a shade chubbier but my husband seems to approve...so that's okay with me

I recently gave up on the 'all white' and virginal underwear - which usually turned into the 'all grey and withered look' anyway! - and have nothing but a drawer full of coloured undies now - all matching of course, can't give that up. I was getting fed up with looking at all these things available and thinking that wasn't for me when I suddenly thought 'Yes - they ARE for me and I am having some of that!" I'm all for giving the hospital staff in casualty something to talk about if I am ever caught in an accident and have to strip off!!