How Young is Old?

[David48]

How Young is Old?

I remember when I was ‘knee high to a grasshopper’, a young lad, I couldn’t imagine being ‘old’.

When I reached 20, I thought 35 was past the prime.

When I hit 35, I thought for sure cardies and slippers by the time I reached the ripe old age of 50.

I’m now 50 (no need to send gifts … thanks) and enjoying my pants off … well someone’s pants anyway.

I’ve met spritely 70 year olds acting like they were 50 … and also men in their 50’s who looked and acted 70.

I reckon Thailand gives us a vitamin shot, maybe a second, or third lease on life.

What do you reckon … feel younger in Thailand?

Do you do stuff here that you stopped doing 10, 20, 30 years ago in the West?

Dusted off those Golf Clubs.

Thrown away that Zimmer Frame?

.

[CharlieH]

Now I do what I want to do, as opposed to what I "have" to do, as I did before retiring out here.

Edited June 10, 2014 by CharlieH

[chaophraya49]

Great question.

I remember years ago when I thought my grandparents were really ancient in their sixties.

I'm 65 in a few months and still play an hour's 5-a-side football every week, go to the gym on 2 other days and spend 2 days looking after my own grandchildren.

I'm single again and find that if I go on a date with a woman close to my own age it's like being out with my mother!

Age is just a state of mind!!

Interested to see what others think.

CP49

[ppmacready]

18 years ago, I was lucky enough to be living in Phuket when I was 35, with a pretty 19 year old girlfriend from London.

When she had enough of me.

I quite naturally gravitated to beautiful vibrant 20 year old Thai girls.

Ive felt a very young 35 ever since!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuI3ogcQjuI

[i claudius]

My wife thinksi behave like a young guy ,i told her if i did ,she would be horizontal dancing two or three times a night ,not three times a week.

[CharlieH]

18 years ago, I was lucky enough to be living in Phuket when I was 35, with a pretty 19 year old girlfriend from London.

When she had enough of me.

I quite naturally gravitated to beautiful vibrant 20 year old Thai girls.

Ive felt a very young 35 ever since!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuI3ogcQjuI

You need to be careful mate ! People might begin to think you are normal afterall, now thats just not right.

Those meds finally kicked in huh.

Edited June 10, 2014 by CharlieH

[Seastallion]

A A Milne (if I recall)

When I was one, I had just begun.

When I was two, I was nearly new.

When I was three, I was not quite me.

And when I was four, I was a little bit more.

When I was five, I was just alive,

But now I am six, I'm as clever as clever,

So I think I'll stay six, forever and ever.

It just goes on. As in the OP, when I was 18 I thought I was cool, tough fit. When I hit 21, I thought back to the bravado and thought, "What a child I was at 18. At 35, I knew that I had been immature in my 20's as compared to my 30's. At 40, I knew I had learnt a lot more, but I also wasn't so tough or fit as when I was in my 30's. Now I am 50, I know I am more learned, but less strong, and perhaps a little slower in thinking processes.

Perhaps old is when you stop learning while also your faculties recede..

I guess what I'm saying is that you are on the cusp of being old when you look back 5 years and realise you are no wiser, and less strong. You pass the cusp when your wisdom starts to diminish (but you probably won't realise it).

Edited June 10, 2014 by Seastallion

[ppmacready]

18 years ago, I was lucky enough to be living in Phuket when I was 35, with a pretty 19 year old girlfriend from London.

When she had enough of me.

I quite naturally gravitated to beautiful vibrant 20 year old Thai girls.

Ive felt a very young 35 ever since!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuI3ogcQjuI

You need to be careful mate ! People might begin to think you are normal afterall, now thats just not right.

Those meds finally kicked in huh.

My closest friends describe me as slightly eccentric,kind, charitable and compassionate.

My X girlfriends are not as complimentary!

My doormat friends call me cynical, insensitive and callus.

Ive been called even worse on here!

Maybe I have D.I.D, Dissociative Identity Disorder.

[noahvail]

Old is defined as your own age plus twenty. Not quite sure of that if I make it to 90, though my paternal grandmother lived to be 102, smoking cigars and having her highball every night. She was completely sentient until two days before she died.

[transam]

Age is a mind thing, NOT a wrinkles thing.......................

May I add, the mind thing might come from others because they know your age...............

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Most employers in the west think age 40 is too old.

Most governments in the west would like age 70 to be old.

[Ulysses G.]

When I was a kid, I thought of 50 as old, but people looked a lot older back then. I would say 60 now..

[Robby nz]

Before you think about or regret growing old consider that it is a privilege denied to so many.

We don't know how lucky we are.

[wprime]

You're only as old as the lady you feel.

[arthurwait]

Nobody should play golf before retirement age.

[arthurwait]

Oh and the answer to the op is 5 years younger than Harden Soul.

[Cypress Hill]

It's one thing to feel young mentally but quite another when your body doesn't want to play ball.

Working out 4-5 times a week enables my body to keep up.

[pinkpanther99]

As a recently turned 30 year old, I'd say that getting into your mid 60's is old.

That said, it also depends on the individual. I know a guy close to 60 who is in better shape than most 25 year olds I know.

I also know 60 year olds who are in terrible shape and look 80+.

My gran is 90 and is still very active, drives her own car, goes on holidays with friends, leads a very social life and is often mistaken for being in her mid 60s.

[pinkpanther99]

You're only as old as the lady you feel.

Forget the poll. This is actually the right answer.

[roamer]

Wisdom comes with age.

Achieved the latter, still waiting for the former.

[Swiss1960]

Most employers in the west think age 40 is too old.

Most governments in the west would like age 70 to be old.

Reminds me of the HR boss who gave the retirees the copy of the Stalingrad war movie "Hunde wollt ihr ewig leben" (dogs do you want to live forever) as farewell present..

Sent from my HTC One XL using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Swiss1960]

I knew that I am getting old when the young lads in my student fraternity started to call me "Sie" (Mister) while I was drinking them under the table.. still can do that though 20 years later..

Sent from my HTC One XL using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Loptr]

Nobody should play golf before retirement age.

A game I love to hate at every opportunity. When I was young I used to play 2 - 4 times a week. I haven't played in years now and have been saving my slice until retirement when I will know many, many curse words.

[Choonpon]

If you think you are old, then you really are. Most important to have a young heart, telling yourself you can easily surpass any people younger than yourself. Keep challenging yourself:)

[ttthailand]

Age is very misleading.

Old is when you are fixed in your ways, your body is out of shape and doesn't function the way you want and you are too tired to get out of bed in the morning.

Young is when you are willing to open your mind to new ideas, your body is in shape and you feel good and you can not wait to get out of bed to start a new day....

Everything else can be adjusted and improved; teeth, hearing, eyes, hair color, wrinkles etc...

[WitawatWatawit]

My wife thinksi behave like a young guy ,i told her if i did ,she would be horizontal dancing two or three times a night ,not three times a week.

FOUL, ref! Cowgirl doesn't count.

[WitawatWatawit]

My neighbour celebrated his 81st birthday by going to the local ... ahem ... BJ bar. He told me. I do not dispute this. I once saw him coming out of another such bar. And a trashy massage place where it is known ... well.

Youth is wasted on the young. It's not wasted on me.

Time for Horlicks and off to bed.

[Beetlejuice]

Age is a mind thing, NOT a wrinkles thing.......................

May I add, the mind thing might come from others because they know your age...............

That about sums up the state of reaching old age.

Late last year I hit the big 60 that has it`s pros and cons. In some respects it has a plus side but it also places many limitations on what others conceive as acceptable behaviour of an ageing guy.

I still look young, full head of hair, no beer gut, hardly any grey hair, trim, fit and still in the same frame of thinking as I was in my 30s. I was one of those types that when 25 years old still had to show ID to prove I was over 18 to gain entry into pubs, bars and clubs.

But what I found are the major affects in my life on reaching what is considered as old age is the attitudes of the younger generations towards me. Some examples: If I was seen ogling an attractive woman under 40 years old by my children they would consider me as being a pervert, because I’m the dad and dad’s don`t do those sorts of things. They believe that being sexually active is a function strictly reserved for young people and that the older guys main stimuli should be pruning rose bushes in the garden or feeding the ducks at a park. If out and about and seen eyeing up or chatting to young women than it`s assumed that I am a dirty old man, or in other words society considers that young women should be out of bounds for guys like me unless I was rich or a celebrity then the age gap seems to be excused. Last year I went to renew my Thai driving license accompanied by my 26 year old daughter. The staff at the licensing centre were giving me the most disapproving looks and the lady who was dealing with my license application eventually asked my daughter what is she doing there with me? Although I think my daughter and I bear a strong resemblance. My daughter told the lady that she is my daughter and then within an instant the whole attitudes changed and suddenly I was treated as being respectable again.

Other disadvantages that come with age: it is unlikely that anyone is going to employ me if I ever decided I wanted to work again and continue with a full time career unless it`s voluntary work, because in most of today’s industries they want an up market young image to front their companies. If I dress up modern then I am considered as an old age trendy, so many fashions are out of bounds to me and feel compelled to dress what the Thais describe as politely, something suitable and acceptable for someone of my age.

The up side to reaching old age for me is that I am now retired, have no stresses in my life and have become my own man, so I could say that this is the best time of my life, but if I was given the chance to be 20 or 30 years younger again, I would jump at the opportunity.

[WitawatWatawit]

BJ (oh dear) makes some pertinent points - I've had the same problem with my (24yo) daughter being perceived as .. well, you know what I mean, BJ.

But I remember during the swinging 60s, the age of the much-trumpeted post-war, hippy sexual revolution, a quote from some older woman that has always stuck in my mind. I still laugh about it today: "Young people think they've discovered sex. Ha!" Problem is, I've only every known sex since the swinging 60s.

[Eric Loh]

Don't think about it. The more you think, the more you feel burdened. Only a number. Live life.