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One of the things that every single person goes through in life is the process of getting older. No matter how much anyone denies it or tries to delay it – it's inevitable.
So, we think it's important not to pretend that such a fact does not exist; it's better to talk about it straightforwardly. Today, let's discuss what parts of getting older some folks deem to be the hardest. Interestingly, some netizens claim that at least some of them aren't being talked about enough, so let's do the opposite and discuss them with this list, shall we?
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
That nobody can see you are exactly the same person you always were, just stuck inside a body that no longer matches.
Serena Myers 8 months ago
True. I used to get wolf whistles as a lass (long before the days they were deemed offensive!) Nowadays kind gentlemen help me carry the cat basket into the vet and offer to help me with heavy stuff. Still got it, lol, but decades apart!
veirdbuttrue 8 months ago
So true!! And you realise that in your youth you thought you would never get old, your looks wouldn't fade. They do, no matter what you do, they do. And people value you less exactly because of that. Ageing is not allowed, especially if you are a woman.
superfluous 8 months ago
I am old, but have no illnesses (so far, knock on wood). My exterior doesn't match my interior. I'm looking very worn/tired! I do feel worn and tired but it is more from being jaded than straight up age.
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#2
Everything hurts.
Uncle Panda 8 months ago (edited)
Waking in the morning is like a Greek chorus as my body parts check in for the day. "(tenor) Left ankle (drop to bass), still hurts... (tenor) Right ankle..."
Ace 8 months ago
I'm not old yet, but I get that. My pains can be quite specific, quite intense, and have been since I was about 50. Fibromyalgia is a b***h.
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Fellfromthemoon 8 months ago
The one day you wake up and nothing hurts, moreover, you're in a good mood, then you realize you've passed away.
Rali Meyer 8 months ago
at 62: not yet - keep active, keep stretching, keep walking, lift (moderate) weights
#3
That there are more "last times" than "first times.".
JSD 8 months ago
You sometimes don't know what you're doing is the last time you'll ever do it.
Magenta Blu 8 months ago
I was only invited to weddings when I was a child.. as adult I never scored one single invite... and now no one will ever consider to invite the old single non cats lady... Because there would not be any person of my age to chat with.
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Jonas Fisher 8 months ago
Not at all! At worst, there are an equal number. At best, you will almost always know when you're getting to do something for the first time, but rarely know when you've done something for the last time. As a result, there will be more happy new experiences that you know you're having, and hardly any times when you know -- while it's happening -- that you're having an experience for the last time. That will almost never be clear except in retrospect.
You probably know the saying “everyone has their unique path in life” or something along similar lines to this. Well, we can’t say it’s not true – there are so many aspects, from personal characteristics to cultural differences and whatever else, that make our experiences on this Earth original.
At the same time, no matter how unique each of us is, there are certain things that unite us, things we have to go through. To be more specific, all of us go through life stages like birth, childhood, adult years, and so on.
#4
Everything they don't tell you about menopause or peri-menopause. Women have so much that starts to go haywire as our reproductive systems start cycling down, and there isn't much information or support from doctors to help you figure it out.
superfluous 8 months ago
I guess I am the exception. I hardly noticed. I actually LIKED hot flashes (they didn't happen often). They were so INTENSE. It was kinda cool. I wish more women could have my experience rather than the horror stories I hear.
Blondie23 8 months ago
what's even more fun is the way the medical community act like this isn't a thing... even women doctors act like it's not a thing!
veirdbuttrue 8 months ago
In the UK they are much more clued up about menopause, thankfully
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veirdbuttrue 8 months ago
This....was a shock. It's amazing how menopause affects EVERYTHING!! The UK are really onto it when it comes to education, and getting menopause symptoms into the public sphere
Earonn - 8 months ago
That doctors try to blame menopause for every ailment where there isn't a bone sticking out of your skin. Yes, menopause can be the reason for a lot of s**t - but so can cancer. But if you're a woman over 35, you get that label "(peri)menopausal" and that's it. It frightens me that an early stage of something serious could be overlooked. Small risk for the doctor - it's not them ending with serious illnesses or even dead.
Little Bit 8 months ago
Everybody seems to think that peri/menopause is having a few hot flushes, your periods stop and that's it. Hot flushes are the very LEAST of my menopause problems.
#5
Feeling like you are running out of time to do things because the check engine light in my body never goes off now.
Uncle Panda 8 months ago
I think puberty was the peak and it's just a long slow coast to the grave from there.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 8 months ago
I think the golden few years BEFORE puberty were the best, actually XD Before acne, before menstruation, before boobage appeared, there was only glorious childhood XD
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Geoffrey Scott 8 months ago
Seems every doctors visit I am urged to get a new scrip. On high pressure (took him 5 years to convince) and now sugar (took a year of climbing sugar results). I am 62, and know folks 10 years younger taking more than that...but still.
#6
My metabolism is so slow and its getting harder to lose weight.
superfluous 8 months ago
For some. Mine didn't slow down until many years after, when I slowed down.
Load More Replies... What all of these life stages have in common is that throughout all of them, we’re getting older. No matter how much anyone tries to delay the signs of that, it doesn’t change the fact that it is happening every single second. It's kind of a grim thing to talk about, isn't it?
Yet, we believe it’s something we should be discussing, as running away from such a topic won’t make it any less important. So, for that, today we compiled a list of various things about getting older that netizens claim to be “the worst.”
#7
Parents getting old and passing away
Miss you Mom.
Geoffrey Scott 8 months ago
Mom was 45 when I was born. Dad passed in '78 lung cancer(I was 16), Mom was '96 heart attack(I was 45). I have questions about life, but..
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ROSESARERED 8 months ago (edited)
2023 was a hard year, both of mine got their angel wings 10 months apart. But parents before children is the way it should be, a rite of passage
Magenta Blu 8 months ago
Well.. depending on the family dynamic quality.. it can be a true blessing
#8
Realizing how much you missed and what you could’ve done if you took a different path. For me, I always reflect on how I could’ve been bolder and had a better time if I was just more confident.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 8 months ago
When I was 18, my dad had an accident and fell off of a ladder. Catastrophic brain damage, fully disabled, bedridden, needed 24/7 care. I stopped attending college, remained living at home, and worked for the family business AND as a full-time caregiver for my dad. I don't regret taking care of my dad, as I loved him immensely, but no one expected him to live for another 21 years after the accident. I'm 43 now with no degree past an Associate's, no career, no real job, no family of my own, no friends, etc., all because my path led me into the thorny thicket of "family obligation" that I never escaped. I often think about what life would be like if I'd gotten that degree in Geology that I wanted, or if I truly had gone to veterinary school. I COULD have moved out and untangled myself as much as possible following my dad's accident, but I didn't FEEL like I could, if that makes sense. Well, at least I have my pets and my Panda pals <3
Michael P (Perthaussieguy) 8 months ago
22 years ago, my wife, mother of my 2 kids (11 & 14 at the time) had a fatal heart attack, She was only 43. Everything changed. You do what you have to do under the circumstances. I was a single parent, mortgage and full time job. It worked out but it was tough and quite a different path to what I was expecting. Kudos to you for doing what you had to do.
Load More Replies... veirdbuttrue 8 months ago
Same...unfortunately self esteem is a long time struggle of mine, as it is for many
Brian Droste 8 months ago
Or just speaking up at times. I am 65 and still have a hard time speaking up at times.
superfluous 8 months ago
But I wouldn't be me if I took a different path, if that makes sense? The me I was made those decisions and resulted in the me I am. I would have been someone else to make different decisions. What drives me nuts is thinking about the external influences that I had no control over that, I don't know... limited? ...the decisions I could make. The butterfly effect on my life - x didn't happen because y didn't happen so I couldn't (decide to) do z.
#9
You have fewer and fewer alternative life paths available, and you start to regret the paths that you did take.
Ace 8 months ago
NOO. I refuse to regret a thing. And I still have plenty of options, just nobody to share them with any more.
Michael P (Perthaussieguy) 8 months ago
Same here. You make decisions based on the information you have at the time. Sometimes things don't work out, but you can't regret your decisions. Everyone has 20/20 hindsight, lol.
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Petra Peitsch 8 months ago
Hm, I think quite the opposite. In my late 20's and 30's I had fewer life paths, as in my 40's, when I decided, I won't give a flying f.ck about who thinks what about me, if what I'm doing makes me feel good. I'm living my life, not anybody else. People vanishing from my life, because of it? No problem, they meant to vanish, than. I got and get new ones.
Rali Meyer 8 months ago
many alternative life paths when you retire: Hike this mountain, or that, or the other one :-)
Granted, everyone’s view on what is "the worst" differs. After all, just as we said before, all of us are diverse, so we have varying perspectives on what "the worst" is for us. Still, the point of this list stands – to shine a light on the struggles people face while they confront the inevitability of getting older.
Probably, objectively one of the hardest things people face while going through life is the loss of their parents (or other loved ones that are older than them). It’s no secret that grief is usually one of the most difficult things people go through. It’s an emotion that takes over a person's body, brain, sense of self – basically every single detail of their life.
#10
Becoming irrelevant. I work on the same campus I attended 40 years ago, and I feel the looks saying, “You don’t belong here anymore.”.
Magenta Blu 8 months ago
This happened to me since I was a child. I just never belonged
Load More Replies... Rali Meyer 8 months ago
Too many newbies who ignore you because experience is underrated. They will find out...
Uncle Panda 8 months ago (edited)
I ran with it. I started telling long stories, using simile and metaphor like a cutlass, delineating Latin roots with extreme prejudice, spacing out during useless meetings and laughing when caught... Put me out to pasture? Okay, then, let's take a walk.
Mook The Mediocre 8 months ago
Yes. I was a significant figure. Now I'm a "Who was that?" in the annals of youth yore.
Petra Peitsch 8 months ago
This depends on, what are you actually working for decades on that campus?
#11
Inability to just do the things you used to do with ease.
Mike F 8 months ago
You find out all about that when it's time to put in or take out the air conditioners! 😩
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RedHairedDragon 8 months ago
The thing with this is that I think it happens sooner for most people than it absolutely have to. I still have no problem with climbing trees with my kids, even though people younger than me would claim that they can't anymore or, more commonly, don't want to ruin their clothes
#12
Feeling your body fall apart.
Serena Myers 8 months ago
If I could get down as far as that and lie like that, there would be one heck of an effort trying to get back up to my knees and crawling to find somewhere to pull myself upright! Says the woman that could lift a 16 stone man off his feet 35 years ago!
keyboardtek 8 months ago
Do not go down to the floor without first having a plan how you will get up.
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Sven Horlemann 8 months ago
Yeah. Got histamine intolerance mid fifties, nothing is like it was before.
superfluous 8 months ago
I just feel slow and heavy. Oh, wait, I am getting heavier. Maybe that's what's making me slower?
Sometimes it affects a person so much that it alters their nature completely. So, it definitely belongs on a list of “hard aspects of growing old.”
Another thing that appears quite often in this list, just in different phrasings, is people regretting the past, or, as someone put it, the “could’ve, would’ve, should’ve’s.”
Well, just like the “getting old” part itself, regret is an inevitable part of life. Essentially, by living life, people are bound to make mistakes from time to time, which later calls for regret. No matter how you go through life, there’s no actual way to avoid having at least some regrets.
#13
Loneliness. The world can easily just forget you.
Rali Meyer 8 months ago
No, go out. Play chess, join a book club, offer your skills next door, join water gymnastics
Earonn - 8 months ago
That's why I appreciate my pub. As a regular you don't get forgotten, you rather become an essential part. And you have the other regulars of your age getting old alongside.
Tom De Paul 8 months ago
Oh trust me: if (when) you're not there, they will go on.
Load More Replies... #14
For me its looking back on what i could have done with my time.
Jay Scales 8 months ago
Try not to spend so much in regret that you miss the time you have now.
Alexandra 8 months ago
So true. You cannot live in the past nor in the future. You can make plans for the future, but that's about it. You live now, every minute of every day. Make it count!
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Chris the Bobcat 8 months ago
I agree with this as I'm sitting on my a$$ posting comments here.
veirdbuttrue 8 months ago
That ol chestnut, have to work to survive but work is such a waste of time.
Petra Peitsch 8 months ago
There are 2 major things, in my life, what I would change, if I could. 1. Not getting pregnant unknowingly, then losing the baby. 2. Being able to reach in time to my grandma's deathbed. Otherwise, I'm okay with myself right now, but to be honest: I had to do some shítty decisions to realizie, what I really need.
Little Bit 8 months ago
If i had my time again and knew what I know now, I would do everything completely differently.
Earonn - 8 months ago
Yeah, but that's as useful as saying "If I could live my life again and was a billionaire I would do everything differently". You know what you know now because of the experiences you've made, not because of the years you lived.
Load More Replies... Shortstuff 8 months ago
Live in the moment as you don't know what will happen in 5 minutes time.
#15
Seeing old pics and videos of yourself and realizing how gradual the change was that you never noticed how much you've aged.
Geoffrey Scott 8 months ago
Oldest Grandson(5) saw a pic of me when his Mom was in her teens "Papa had hair"..my response.."OUT OF THE WILL!" LOL
Alexandra 8 months ago
I've had the same dentist for over 30 years. I went yesterday and looked at him and thought ' when did you get so old?' On top of that he told me he was going to retire in 9 month's time. It took a while for me to realise that if he had aged, so had I, ha ha! It's true: if you get older, the disconnect between how you look and how you feel gets bigger and bigger. I feel better now with myself than I did when I was 35, I'm much more lively and upbeat, but people just see the wrinkles and think I must be tired of living.....
Fire Singer 8 months ago
I found a picture and thought "I don't remember having this picture taken of myself?" only to realize it was my mom. :P
At the same time, some argue that regrets don't have to be solely negative things. We can take them as life lessons – a way to improve ourselves and something to remember in order to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
So, basically, it all depends on how you look at it, and yet, still sometimes, regret is just that – something you rue doing – and over time, when many things come together, it can become a relatively hard thing. That’s why it makes sense that it was mentioned in this list.
Well, that’s just two examples of what you’ll find in today’s collection – the rest you’ll have to check out for yourselves. And by doing so, don’t forget to upvote the ones you think are the most profound!
#16
Risk of dementia.
Magenta Blu 8 months ago
Somehow I started to believe that Alzheimer disease can be a truly blessing. Not having to remember what hurt me sounds really appealing
JustineB 8 months ago
The reality of a lived experience of Alzheimer's is anything but appealing.
Load More Replies... Petra Peitsch 8 months ago
Risk is scary enough, if you ever had in your family someone with it. 1 year 24/7 caregiver for my grandfather freaks me out. Than better some kind of cancer. There you have some chances ... With dementia you have 0.
Load More Replies... #17
Gettin ugly in my case gettin uglier.
Magenta Blu 8 months ago
I avoided mirrors since I can remember because I didn't like what I saw... But now it's no only disgust but fear. It's getting worse every day
Petra Peitsch 8 months ago
That's idiotic. Sorry, but it is. If you think anybody over 30 is just getting uglier with years, you were successfully brainwashed. Also, don't watch so many 'Next Topmodell...'-like shows. They are a crime against humanity, especiaslly teen-girls with their amorf "standards".
Earonn - 8 months ago
Why is aging "getting ugly", FFS? Also, shouldn't with age also come the relaxed "I don't give a s**t what others see/think" attitude? How long do you want to be a slave to the opinion of stragers?
Tom De Paul 8 months ago (edited)
Unless your job literally involves having good looks (TV anchor, actor, model) who gives a sh*t what you look like? I need my doctors, lawyers, therapist, teachers; hell my housekeepers, bus drivers, airplane pilots, and the cooks and waiters at restautmrants I eat at to just be good at their jobs. I dont go to my doctor to gaze longingly at his/her attractive face/body. I go to get my ailment diagnosed and treated.
Load More Replies... Shortstuff 8 months ago
Have pride in yourself, whatever age you are. Stay well groomed... dress well, do the best with what you have.
superfluous 8 months ago
I feel I look the same (not ugly, but definitely not pretty, so in the middle), just so TIRED and worn (by that I guess I mean saggy? droopy?)
Mike F 8 months ago
I just tell myself that with what I've been through, whether it's something life threw at me or something I brought on myself, I earned these wrinkles. I earned every gray hair. I worked like a dog for 50 years and there's bound to be some marks left behind, lol. Now, if I could trade in those d@mned hairs growing out of my ears and the shrubbery growing out of my nose and put it back on my legs where it belongs...
#18
You have heard all the songs and stories, everything they come up with now feels like a bad copy.
Also, the amount of things you are doing for the last time, or are never going to do at all, grows and grows.
People you love die. People you love stop loving you back. You stop loving people even though they deserve your love.
MotherofGuineaPigs 8 months ago
I get funny looks when I listen to heavy metal, speed metal, thrash.
Billo66 8 months ago
I told Alexa to play the oldies and it started with Metallica. So theres that...
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Magenta Blu 8 months ago
Or you just stop caring about love... Because love was never worth of the effort
veirdbuttrue 8 months ago
Yes! I'm no longer physically attractive to the opposite gender.....and they are no longer physically attractive to me!! And love comes and goes, or it did when i was younger, not so much now! So I've given up on the whole soul mate stuff, just living my life
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#19
Constantly losing friends.
Awkward lady 8 months ago
In the last 3 months, I lost my 3 closest friends. Easy to say, get new ones, but it doesn't work like that. These were people I had known for years, one of them for 50 years. You have so many memories that hurt to remember. I have a lot of friends, but it's not the same. I find it very hard to deal with.
Donna Peluda 8 months ago
The single thing that broke me most was loosing my dog. It nearly 6 months now and I ten minutes don't go by without my thoughts wondering to her memory. I always knew she would take a part of me with her.
Mike F 8 months ago
That looks good on paper, but it's lots more difficult when you are old.
Load More Replies... #20
For me, generally, regret builds up. The “could’ve, would’ve, should’ve” syndrome is strong in me.
Ace 8 months ago
I've done stuff. Nobody regrets the things they have done, only the things they did not do.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 8 months ago
YES. I have told some of my younger friends that exact sentiment - grief fades with time. Pain fades with time. Regret remains sharp forever. Try your hardest to not do something you'll regret (or to not do something you'll regret NOT doing.) I am 43 now and I still regret speaking angrily and snottily to my dad on the day of his accident (before it happened.) I was 18 and I'd just been dumped by my first boyfriend, so I was quite the p!ssy little teenager, but I still snapped at him like an a-hole about something and I STILL regret it to this day. I know he would have forgiven me for it, but it is still sharp as a kitten's tooth.
Load More Replies... Shortstuff 8 months ago
I regret some of the stupid things I did, but can't change, so forgive myself and move on.
Donna Peluda 8 months ago
I think it's important to understand at a young age that regrets is an empty emotion. You can make it rain or stop raining. You have to accept it and take measure to minimise actions you regret.
#21
You hit a certain point where you realize your career isn't going to advance anymore, because if you haven't made the leadership ranks by a certain point everyone assumes it's because there's something wrong with you. People stop saying "it will happen someday" because now it *is* someday. And if you work in a youth-dominated field, you're just absolutely f****d.
Rali Meyer 8 months ago
I had like "20" careers in my life. Now taking a course in financial modelling. Career is totally overrated
Bec 8 months ago
After completing a doctorate and doing a lot of upper level things I was /am often asked if I am going to leave or move up the ladder, but I am happy where I am at.
Tom De Paul 8 months ago
See my comment above. There are some employers who will recognize your service with additional salary and benefits without the requirement that you change roles.
Load More Replies... Petra Peitsch 8 months ago
If 10-15 years before your retirement age, you are still worrying about "career-advance", you must have done something terrible wrong choosing your way in a profession.
Ace 8 months ago
If you're still n a "career" phase of life you are, by definition, not yet old, nor even close to getting there.
Alexandra 8 months ago
Being in leadership doesn't mean that those who are not are defective or lacking in some way. There are lots of people in leadership that are there because there is something wrong with them.
Load More Replies... Magenta Blu 8 months ago
It is worst when you actually rised your kids but achieved absolutely nothing profesionally
Igor914624 8 months ago
I work in IT and have for 30+ years. The new sysadmins seem to think some of the stuff I do is outdated. That makes me feel old.
#22
Seeing everybody else moving forward in life. Being actually good in living life.
While you're stuck with no solution nor any way to fix yourself watching how every day slips away from you.
And not being able to quit because some people would be f*****g sad.
Life is a cruel joke.
JSD 8 months ago
It's almost like you only exist not to p**s people off, which is a horrible way to go through life.
Magenta Blu 8 months ago
I always lived trying to not p1ss people off.. it's like my mere existence is a burden for everyone else... Life can be such a lifelong punishment
Load More Replies... #23
Your body betrays you.
Shortstuff 8 months ago
Look after yourself. Eat healthful food. Keep to a healthy weight. Ditch the sugar, fats and alcohol. Keep off meds that are not absolutely necessary. Don't smoke or vape. EXERCISE!
Earonn - 8 months ago
Your body ages. And it does that because YOU MADE IT THIS FAR. Remember Covid? How many people in their 20s and 30s died? So how can we complain about the aches and pains that only exist because we are so lucky to have survived?
Tom De Paul 8 months ago
Well we can complain. But then we ought to shut up, stretch, and get on with the day.
Load More Replies... #24
Next to losing people, slowly losing your appetite for new things and being bored with the old.
Petra Peitsch 8 months ago
Nope, this doesn't come with age. If you are losing appetite for new with your aging, it means, you never had it. Not wven in your teen years. You were just going with the actual flow, because all of yours friends were going with. And now, you don't have such curious-for-the-new friends, there is no flow for you, and you just don't care. Curiosity is not determined by age.
Geoffrey Scott 8 months ago
I think what the poster means is less joy in the things that USED to bring joy.
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Tom De Paul 8 months ago
I have experienced the slowing down physically, the declines in strength, stamina, and mobility. But my "appetite" for new things is intact and may have grown. When I was young I was always interested in what was happening on the national and world stage, looked forward to the latest album by my favorite artist, and the latest book by my favorite author. Now, I have the time and resources to indulge my interests. To all of these earlier interests I've added cooking and travel, both requiring time and resources I may not have had when younger.
#25
I'm technically more fit in my 30s than in my 20s. But if I hurt myself it takes 10x longer to heal. Hurt my knee? No running for 2 months in my 20s it would be fine after 3 shots of vodka and sleeping it off. Cut myself at 25? No evidence in a week, at 35? Takes 2 weeks to heal and leaves a scar.
Also I basically don't drink anymore now that I get hangovers. Which I guess is a good thing but still sucks.
Petra Peitsch 8 months ago
Oh, sweet summer child ... at so a young age as 35 ... OP will have some more surprises.
Sven Horlemann 8 months ago
Wait for the 50's. Then you know what it means to be f**ked. Sorry.
Brian Droste 8 months ago
Wait until you get in your sixties and it takes at least a month before a cut or evidence of a cut disappear.
Tom De Paul 8 months ago
I'm 63 and I haven't experienced a reduced rate of healing. I have experienced the lower back pain when I take my first steps in the morning. Luckily, I can walk this out. My prostate no longer cooperates when I empty my bladder. I also am not as strong and more noticeably I have a lot less stamina than when younger. I have my groceries delivered and I am always shocked anew at how exhausting it is to bring them in and put them away. I'm working with a physical therapist to increase my strenth and stamina (thanks Innovage.)
Load More Replies... #26
Calculating what your current age is the halfway point of in your life.
For example, if you're 60 and expect to live to 80, you're at the halfway point between 40 and death.
You can start this in your late 30s (based on life expectancy) and unlock a strange combo...a new way to fear death and a new way to start doing stuff on the harsh realization that you're somewhere on the back 9 of life.
Apatheist Account2 8 months ago
This is why it annoys me when people tell me that 62 is only middle-aged. How many 124-year-olds do you know?
Earonn - 8 months ago
Huh? I saw 'middle aged' never as a mathematical number but as a stage. child - teenager - young adult - full aduld - middle aged - old. I mean, what number do you give to being 'old' then? And yes, there's a difference. Remember how 62 year olds dressed and behaved when you were a child? Do you the same? Grey and beige?
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JSD 8 months ago
If you're from a family that suffers killer heart attacks, you never know... So that's good I guess.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 8 months ago
I'm adopted, so I have NO idea what my "genetic" average lifespan is or what conditions I'm prone to XD I could die at 65, I could die at 95! Or tomorrow! XD
Load More Replies... Chris the Bobcat 8 months ago
I thought I would die when I was 39. I'm 51 and still amused that I seem to keep adding to my tally of "I'm not dead yet, motherfvckers!" years.
JB 8 months ago
I never cared or thought about how old I was until 47 (no idea why it hit then). I just suddenly realized there were less years ahead than behind. It was a momentary shock. But it’s ok. Some things hurt a bit more than they used to. Other things (I had endometriosis) don’t hurt at all anymore. It’s actually better being post-menopausal, I don’t spend 5-7 days in agony.
#27
Women that used to find you s*xy and attractive now think you're an old creeper.
keyboardtek 8 months ago
70 year old male here. I swim laps every day. From the neck down I look about 40. The younger female lap swimmers are all very pleasant and I never get that "old man creeping me out" vibe. Maybe because there is a sort of mutual respect and comradery among regular lap swimmers. They all seems to admire older people who still swim and are in great shape.
Chris the Bobcat 8 months ago
That sounds like more of a Robert Redford problem than anything that has ever applied to me!
What do you think ?
Bertha Madott 8 months ago
F76. I went for a piano lesson today. Advanced stuff. Lifelong musician multiple instruments . Homework: do a harmonic analysis of a piece. It went well. I still like challenges and new things. Counting my blessings
Mary Horvath 8 months ago
I take a ceramics class at the community college. I really enjoy getting out of the house and interacting with the young students that are my grand children's age. Life hasn't beat them down yet and they are cheerful and hopeful. I hear a lot of derogatory things from people my age about GenZ, but the thing about them is they match energy. They won't respect you if you demand it, but they will if you respect them first. They're pretty good kids
Jack Hannon 8 months ago
I do not understand how we older people, who are responsible for the changes to healthcare costs, education costs, work/life balance etc. that impact younger generations, can complain so much about young people trying to live in the world we made for them... GenX people will say "life was so much better when we were young" without thinking about who made it worse....
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Queenie G 8 months ago
Yes there are down sides to getting older but everyday I am here is a blessing. I still have time to enact change, to help, to love. I move a bit slower but I see more. I raised my children now I get to enjoy my grandchildren with out the need to be the disciplinarian. I will take the downsides and thank the good Lord I am still here.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 8 months ago
So, that intermittent hip issue I've had since I was a little kid that I've ignored for basically four decades because it would only hurt once or twice a month and then only for a few hours...? Well, it's become chronic, nonstop pain when I walk or stand, now that I'm 43! XD (X-rays showed shallow sockets but no dysplasia, doc thinks it's hip impingement, but had an MRI to make sure it's not a labral tear. I'm in PT. I HATE PT, lol.) I also can't eat the things I used to when I was younger - at least not without suffering MASSIVE gastrointestinal upset - at BOTH ends XD Mentally I'm still young, but oh body, what have you done to me? XD I also REALLY regret not getting into at least a light, mild exercise habit when I was younger. I hated exercise then and I still hate it now, but I think I'd be in a lot less pain XD
Brian Droste 8 months ago
I agree with you about exercising when younger. I am 65 and trying to do a little bit of exercising ever day but I am not always successful.
Load More Replies... Earonn - 8 months ago
Ugh, a lot of them were so depressing. People complaining about the long life they lived - tell that to someone 100 years ago being crippled or even dying at 40 because of one of the illnesses we can now treat easily. Or the "woe to me, I missed stuff" - guys, the job at old age is to get beyond that kind of thinking. Of appreciating the riches you had, and get rid of FOMO. Dear young folks reading this: it's not all depression and regret. It can also be the opposite. Understanding how you had a good life - even without having had "everything". Seeing how the rat race is no longer necessary. Being able to make a scene when necessary without giving a s**t what other may think. Using your mom/pop voice. :p And having fun. At least at my 54 I still have So. Much. Fun.
Magenta Blu 8 months ago
Realizing all the experiences I never had. Like playing around with a father, or walking with a partner in the sunset.. or enjoying a sunny morning at the beach with family. Having a sibling.. or a best friend.. or someone who just happened to care about you to the point of wanting to share their life with you. Those sort of experiences I'm too old to hope for now
Serena Myers 8 months ago
On a positive note, we couldn't afford to have the quince/apple/plum trees pruned earlier this year, so there won't be as much sun for the tomatoes, but there will be more fruit and I can make quince jelly, apple sauce/pie/crumble, plum jam with the crops.
Danish Susanne 8 months ago (edited)
For me the harsh truth about ageing, is that I have lost so many. My father many years ago, my stepfather 20 years ago, my mother only last year, my husband 8 years ago, my sister 6 years ago, her husband 5 years ago, my second best friend disappeared 2 years ago, and my best friend is suffering from dementia, so that I am not sure she recognizes me when we meet. It is very hard to not feel lonely, but I work at a Repair Cafe and has been a school volunteer, in order to form new connections. It can be done even at 72 years.
Brenda 8 months ago
Losing people you love. Lost 2 extended family members in 4 years, about 10 years ago. Lost a friend (massive heart attack) 7 years ago. Lost 1 of my 2 BFFs 3.5 years ago (non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver & sepsis) suddenly. (She was younger than me!) Hubby died in my arms in November 2023 (massive stroke). More people as I get older. You can't do the things you always loved because of physical and/or other issues. I was healthy as a horse until my mid 40s. Now I can't walk for any length of time or distance, or simply stand anymore. But I'm trying to be more productive these days, as much as I can.
Jack Hannon 8 months ago
M~60. My wife and I were able to retire early, 55, and it's made a huge difference. Yes, I realize this is just a dream for some, and I am sorry about that... The older I get, the more I see just how crazy the "American Way" is... We don't need to change everything or adopt socialism, just some common sense changes to minimize unnecessary struggles... For example, making healthcare accessible to everyone. Making K-12 education standard for all kids, regardless of how rich the parents are. Increasing the number of paid holidays per year, and making paid vacation time mandatory so employees (humans) can breathe now and then... And yes, instead of raising the retirement age, looking for ways to lower it. So many people retire at 65 and then only live a few peaceful years... We should not have to give all of our years and energy to working for someone else's benefit...
Bertha Madott 8 months ago
F76. I went for a piano lesson today. Advanced stuff. Lifelong musician multiple instruments . Homework: do a harmonic analysis of a piece. It went well. I still like challenges and new things. Counting my blessings
Mary Horvath 8 months ago
I take a ceramics class at the community college. I really enjoy getting out of the house and interacting with the young students that are my grand children's age. Life hasn't beat them down yet and they are cheerful and hopeful. I hear a lot of derogatory things from people my age about GenZ, but the thing about them is they match energy. They won't respect you if you demand it, but they will if you respect them first. They're pretty good kids
Jack Hannon 8 months ago
I do not understand how we older people, who are responsible for the changes to healthcare costs, education costs, work/life balance etc. that impact younger generations, can complain so much about young people trying to live in the world we made for them... GenX people will say "life was so much better when we were young" without thinking about who made it worse....
Load More Replies... Queenie G 8 months ago
Yes there are down sides to getting older but everyday I am here is a blessing. I still have time to enact change, to help, to love. I move a bit slower but I see more. I raised my children now I get to enjoy my grandchildren with out the need to be the disciplinarian. I will take the downsides and thank the good Lord I am still here.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 8 months ago
So, that intermittent hip issue I've had since I was a little kid that I've ignored for basically four decades because it would only hurt once or twice a month and then only for a few hours...? Well, it's become chronic, nonstop pain when I walk or stand, now that I'm 43! XD (X-rays showed shallow sockets but no dysplasia, doc thinks it's hip impingement, but had an MRI to make sure it's not a labral tear. I'm in PT. I HATE PT, lol.) I also can't eat the things I used to when I was younger - at least not without suffering MASSIVE gastrointestinal upset - at BOTH ends XD Mentally I'm still young, but oh body, what have you done to me? XD I also REALLY regret not getting into at least a light, mild exercise habit when I was younger. I hated exercise then and I still hate it now, but I think I'd be in a lot less pain XD
Brian Droste 8 months ago
I agree with you about exercising when younger. I am 65 and trying to do a little bit of exercising ever day but I am not always successful.
Load More Replies... Earonn - 8 months ago
Ugh, a lot of them were so depressing. People complaining about the long life they lived - tell that to someone 100 years ago being crippled or even dying at 40 because of one of the illnesses we can now treat easily. Or the "woe to me, I missed stuff" - guys, the job at old age is to get beyond that kind of thinking. Of appreciating the riches you had, and get rid of FOMO. Dear young folks reading this: it's not all depression and regret. It can also be the opposite. Understanding how you had a good life - even without having had "everything". Seeing how the rat race is no longer necessary. Being able to make a scene when necessary without giving a s**t what other may think. Using your mom/pop voice. :p And having fun. At least at my 54 I still have So. Much. Fun.
Magenta Blu 8 months ago
Realizing all the experiences I never had. Like playing around with a father, or walking with a partner in the sunset.. or enjoying a sunny morning at the beach with family. Having a sibling.. or a best friend.. or someone who just happened to care about you to the point of wanting to share their life with you. Those sort of experiences I'm too old to hope for now
Serena Myers 8 months ago
On a positive note, we couldn't afford to have the quince/apple/plum trees pruned earlier this year, so there won't be as much sun for the tomatoes, but there will be more fruit and I can make quince jelly, apple sauce/pie/crumble, plum jam with the crops.
Danish Susanne 8 months ago (edited)
For me the harsh truth about ageing, is that I have lost so many. My father many years ago, my stepfather 20 years ago, my mother only last year, my husband 8 years ago, my sister 6 years ago, her husband 5 years ago, my second best friend disappeared 2 years ago, and my best friend is suffering from dementia, so that I am not sure she recognizes me when we meet. It is very hard to not feel lonely, but I work at a Repair Cafe and has been a school volunteer, in order to form new connections. It can be done even at 72 years.
Brenda 8 months ago
Losing people you love. Lost 2 extended family members in 4 years, about 10 years ago. Lost a friend (massive heart attack) 7 years ago. Lost 1 of my 2 BFFs 3.5 years ago (non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver & sepsis) suddenly. (She was younger than me!) Hubby died in my arms in November 2023 (massive stroke). More people as I get older. You can't do the things you always loved because of physical and/or other issues. I was healthy as a horse until my mid 40s. Now I can't walk for any length of time or distance, or simply stand anymore. But I'm trying to be more productive these days, as much as I can.
Jack Hannon 8 months ago
M~60. My wife and I were able to retire early, 55, and it's made a huge difference. Yes, I realize this is just a dream for some, and I am sorry about that... The older I get, the more I see just how crazy the "American Way" is... We don't need to change everything or adopt socialism, just some common sense changes to minimize unnecessary struggles... For example, making healthcare accessible to everyone. Making K-12 education standard for all kids, regardless of how rich the parents are. Increasing the number of paid holidays per year, and making paid vacation time mandatory so employees (humans) can breathe now and then... And yes, instead of raising the retirement age, looking for ways to lower it. So many people retire at 65 and then only live a few peaceful years... We should not have to give all of our years and energy to working for someone else's benefit...
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