The getting old curse – How are you dealing with it?

[tomgreen]

I originally thought about posting this topic in a tongue in cheek humorous way but the more I think about the subject the more I’m getting depressed ????

 

  My questions are primarily aimed at those forum members that are over 60 years of age , but of course all comments would be most welcome.

 

Ive recently had my 70th birthday and I’m surrounded by a loving family and in general good health and although I seem to get easily get stressed out  , I try to stay as positive as I can . But now I’m constantly finding my self getting all worked up when ever I start think about my age .  I know to some reaching the age of 70 is a bonus and some thing to be proud of , but personally I just can’t seem to stop worrying about the fact that I’m now on the downward slope of life and my time is running out . 

 

 

 So there you are your in the later stages of your life , more than likely your retired and trying to enjoy what time you may have left before the grim reaper comes knocking at your door , you are no doubt trying to stay as healthy as possible may be watching your diet and keeping physically active. But what I would like to know is how are you mentally dealing with and coming to terms in the knowledge that you time on earth is slowly coming to the end , maybe some of your friends who you grew up with have already passed away and its now playing on your mind. 

 

So what are you doing to try and stay mentally positive as the years seem to be shooting by and in all likelihood your body is starting to show the signs of your age ????

 

 Gone is that once magnificent hair , your past youthful tight facial skin has been replaced with sagging and drooping jowls . Your hands are becoming covered with ominous brown liver spots and you seem to be walking more slowly and arthritis may have become your constant companion . The aging signs are all there . You are getting old and the little voice living inside your head keeps reminding you that its all down hill from now on and add to that you now seem to be getting bitter and angry at the drop of a hat .How are you combating that little voice in side your head that keeps announcing that your sands of time are running out , what getting old curse antidote have you found and you can share that makes you stay positive even when your looking in the bathroom mirror and only see a wrinkly old man man staring back at you. What are you doing to try and keep upbeat about getting old. 

 

So your like me and heading down the slope of life towards the big unknown , what words of wisdom , comfort or advice could you offer that will make me feel more positive and happy about being 70 years old . 

Worried Tom ????

[giddyup]

For a start I avoid mirrors at all costs, but I also try not to think about death being just around the corner, it's inevitable anyway and can only cause major depression if you become too fixated on it. At 77 I worry more about being sick and infirmed rather than actually dying.

[Nyezhov]

I fire up a bowl, take a walk, take some pics, eat a steak or something good and then go to a GoGo/Mixx/Thermae after taking my meds. That way if I dont wake up the next morning, I had a good time the day before. Keeps me going fine.

[Rookiescot]

Mate its inevitable. You cant avoid it.

My advice is you pick something you really would find fulfilling and make that your goal. That way when we all shuffle off at least you can say "I did it my way".

Apologies if I just planted  Frank Sinatra into your head ???? 

[CharlieH]

Age is nothing more than a number, ignore the numbers as there is nothing you can do about those.

It's about how you feel, and your own attitude, you can decide how that goes, don't focus too far ahead as you may never get there any way.

Focus in the now the more immediate future and what you are going to do with it while you are still able, healthy etc. 

Focus on what you can do, not what you can't.

[giddyup]

1 minute ago, Rookiescot said:

Mate its inevitable. You cant avoid it.

My advice is you pick something you really would find fulfilling and make that your goal. That way when we all shuffle off at least you can say "I did it my way".

Apologies if I just planted  Frank Sinatra into your head ???? 

Problem is, the older you get the less motivated you become, and possible physical limitations prevent you doing those things as well.

[PatOngo]

Some herbal relaxation medicine may be the answer!

[giddyup]

2 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Age is nothing more than a number, ignore the numbers as there is nothing you can do about those.

It's about how you feel, and your own attitude, you can decide how that goes, don't focus too far ahead as you may never get there any way.

Focus in the now the more immediate future and what you are going to do with it while you are still able, healthy etc. 

It's not just a number, it's an actual physical deterioration, which can also affect attitude. Few of us die in the best of health.

[CharlieH]

4 minutes ago, giddyup said:

It's not just a number, it's an actual physical deterioration, which can also affect attitude. Few of us die in the best of health.

Disagree, things don't happen because you are certain age. Yes deterioration happens but that effects different people in different ways based on many factors of which actual age figures probably the least.

[Odysseus123]

The fact that I now look like a down-at-heal version of my father is a bit of a shock..

 

This is a great topic.Well done OP.

[Pilotman]

Yes, its been rather a testing time , getting older.  It is very plain to me that the years ahead may be limited (71 now), but I will go through them fighting to stay as fit and active as I can, both physically and mentally.  I take no medications and I am, as far as I know, healthy and capable mentally.  I do indulge in creative writing, historical research and some online teaching, gym regularly, have an active sex life and don't look my age, at least others tell me that I don't. When I do make trips to the UK, (3 times this year), I visit my old flying club and review those hard fought flying skills that came so easily in youth, but get more challenging as one gets older.

 

Altogether, I am happy enough that life is indeed limited in length and that we must do all that we can to maintain as much vitality as we can as the later years roll by.  I have given up drinking alcohol and I have never smoked, so hopefully I can stay this way for a while yet. One thing I don't do now is any longer term planning for the future.  I may well not have much of one, so no point in worrying about it.  Everyone dies and the dead don't know that they are dead.  That's some kind of comfort to me.   

[Rookiescot]

Just now, Odysseus123 said:

The fact that I now look like a down-at-heal version of my father is a bit of a shock..

 

This is a great topic.Well done OP.

Yeah I even dance like my dad did.

Bloody depressing if I'm honest.

[sanemax]

Just take comfort in the fact that everyone is in the same situation .

There is not one man or beast who isnt a day older than yesterday

[NCC1701A]

31 minutes ago, tomgreen said:

So what are you doing

i stay with people who have a younger mind set. i had to tell a lifelong friend to stop with the old folks jokes because they don't apply to me.

 

i am 64 and go dancing in clubs in Bangkok and all my girlfriends are half my age and that really helps. 

 

motorcycle trip all over Thailand coming up oct, nov dec.

 

if you don't like my illusion or delusion please keep it to yourself.

 

[giddyup]

2 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Disagree, things don't happen because you are certain age. Yes deterioration happens but that effects different people in different ways based on many factors of which actual age figures probably the least.

You can't say that age doesn't affect your health, that illnesses like rheumatism and arthritis are more prevalent in the elderly, as is loss of hearing, poor eyesight etc etc. Yes, some people handle that deterioration better than others, but that's human nature.

[bkk6060]

I have sex with cute girls in her 20's everyday. Sure makes life fun for me and I look forward to the next day.

[Mavideol]

3 minutes ago, giddyup said:

It's not just a number, it's an actual physical deterioration, which can also affect attitude. Few of us die in the best of health.

as Charlie said, look at it as a number, we all know the physical deterioration including but not only the potential restrictions of limited motricity  and all that comes with.... but we have to keep up the high spirits and all the positives coming from life, thus I do look at age as being a number only and feeling good,  by doing so get more stimulus to keep going, negative thoughts/attitudes lead to potential depression thus I try to avoid such thoughts but everyone has a different posture in life and has to deal with it to the best of their capabilities

[luk AJ]

Well, let’s be thankful we got the chance to roam this planet. It can’t be more extreme, just look back a few thousand years and imagine what would have happened (or not happened) if one of your ancestors would have prematurely died. The fact we are born is the result of a very very small lucky draw.
On the other hand, there is a 100% certainty we die. I am grateful for this life, the limited time makes us who we are and drives us forward.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[kokopelli]

My father died an old man at 66, while I fell like a young man at 80.

[Odysseus123]

6 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

i stay with people who have a younger mind set. i had to tell a lifelong friend to stop with the old folks jokes because they don't apply to me.

 

i am 64 and go dancing in clubs in Bangkok and all my girlfriends are half my age and that really helps. 

 

motorcycle trip all over Thailand coming up oct, nov dec.

 

if you don't like my illusion or delusion please keep it to yourself.

 

Yeah....

[Odysseus123]

5 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

I have sex with cute girls in her 20's everyday. Sure makes life fun for me and I look forward to the next day.

Yeah....

[CharlieH]

8 minutes ago, giddyup said:

You can't say that age doesn't affect your health, that illnesses like rheumatism and arthritis are more prevalent in the elderly, as is loss of hearing, poor eyesight etc etc. Yes, some people handle that deterioration better than others, but that's human nature.

I didn't say that, I said numbers, not the same is it. The various deteriorations don't happen at a specific age/number, they happen for a variety of reasons not just because you have reached a certain age/number, therefore the number is not important, how you feel is.

[OneMoreFarang]

Carpe diem, every day, as long as you can - at least that is what I (try to) do.

 

 

Edited September 15, 2019 by OneMoreFarang

[giddyup]

6 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

I have sex with cute girls in her 20's everyday. Sure makes life fun for me and I look forward to the next day.

You could be 20 and say that, nothing to do with getting old unless you are still doing it at 80, and few are.

[giddyup]

2 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

I didn't say that, I said numbers, not the same is it. The various deteriorations don't happen at a specific age/number, they happen for a variety of reasons not just because you have reached a certain age/number, therefore the number is not important, how feel is.

Age is a number, no avoiding that. You don't call someone old at 20, and most of the ailments I mentioned generally happen when you are old, whatever number you want to put on that.

[Odysseus123]

2 minutes ago, giddyup said:

You could be 20 and say that, nothing to do with getting old unless you are still doing it at 80, and few are.

Well..I am not..but a few of my friends on ThaiVisa are doing it every 10 minutes or so...like buck whizznets..

 

And who am I to gainsay them?????

[giddyup]

5 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Carpe diem

 

 

Didn't quite work out for Robin Williams though.

[giddyup]

1 minute ago, Odysseus123 said:

Well..I am not..but a few of my friends on ThaiVisa are doing it every 10 minutes or so...like buck whizznets..

 

And who am I to gainsay them?????

Doing what every 10 minutes or so? Not making a lot of sense here.

[MalandLee]

20 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Disagree, things don't happen because you are certain age. Yes deterioration happens but that effects different people in different ways based on many factors of which actual age figures probably the least.

Have to agree with Charlie on this one - Just watch this guy...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjofAQo1Z5Y

[Pilotman]

What does irritate me, especially in LOS , is the younger people's reaction to older age. There seems to be a general feeling in all societies, but particularity noticeable in Thailand, that older people, post 60, are geriatric, know nothing, can remember less and are no longer valuable or valued members of society.  We are in many ways merely 'tolerated' and that does have the ability to <deleted> me off.  This idea that older people are valued and revered in Asia is plain BS, they are tolerated too, sometimes with barely concealed irritation.