The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question, and I would ponder it, and let her know.

Old Age, I decided, is a gift.
I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but I don't agonize over those things for long.



I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.
I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.
Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 & 70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.


I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set..

They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.


I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.



So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day. (If I feel like it)

I totally agree...being older can be such a good thing!

nice

older is cool but i've seen old .not pretty.

it sucks

Kinda shriveled and no way to tell which way it hangs....eeh Jax?

I wish I were old

shrinky dinks are not for the faint hearted for sure..

Maybe I'm a minority but I don't feel old, at all. People in my family live longgg lives and I hope to follow that pattern. I hope I'm more wise in my decisions, but I'm a big kid at heart. I love to say things to shock people, dance around to loud music, exercise and probably find humor in things some my age may not. To me age is mostly in the head.

Green tea and humor to long, healthy lives.

you are totally cool

With age has come wisdom & restraint. I wear my age with pride & want to pass down the lessons I have learned.
I can only hope to help the younger generation NOT make the bad choices I did.

Otherwise, approaching 57, life is as good as poss.

I thought shrinky dinks were partially FROM the faint hearted Jax?

I don't really feel my age, but when confronted or reminded by a younger person, my standard pat answer is "hey, at least I've proved that I'm smart enough to survive this long...you still have to do that and you could walk in front of a bus tomorrow" it shuts'm up pretty fast...lol

Denial is evil

da nile , river in egypt.!!!! lol

YOU'RE AWESOME

have found by the time you reach 76, you are an antique no one is intrested in who you are what you have did, or how many chapters of world hisory you have helped write. nearly all seem to think the world belong to the young, people seem to forget without us seniors there would be no young..

I'll turn 50 later this year and it seems such a very strange thing to me. I feel much, much younger. I feel younger now than I did in my 30's, that's for sure.

Gawd, I'll never forget the first time someone called me ma'am. My heart dropped into my shoes. It was at a Pink Floyd concert about 12 years ago. I had an end seat and this younger guy not much more than 20 wanted to step out, "Excuse me, ma'am" he said. Uhg. At least he was being repectful and mannerly.

I don't mind being my age, I'm happier than I've ever been in my entire life. I'm single, my son is grown and on his own, and I'm independent and confident. I don't have any hangups about anything.

I don't know how I'm going to take the big 5-0 day, though. I know it's just a number, but lol, it's a big number.

its weird eh?
little kids can't wait to be older (they wanna be big kids!)
big kids can't wait to be teenagers (teenagers are cool!)
once your a teenager you can't wait to be an adult( yeah baby everything is legal then!)
But when your an adult... you wish you were younger!