Late to the table with reading this but loved it! I see reflected many of my own feelings about aging. I have never "felt" my numerical age, whatever that is supposed to feel like! I'm always surprised when facts occasionally "jolt" me like, 1972, when I graduated from college, was actually 50 years ago?? Noooo, that can't be right?! Age is a number and I'm blessed to have many friends and family, of all ages, in my life, which makes for such a rich tapestry of continuing experiences and points of view!
One thing I keep reminding myself of, Cathy, is that I don't really know hwat 72 is supposed to feel like because I've never been there before. And that helps me see those who've gone before me in a different light, too.
My actual gain of years has not “aged” me as much as how others respond to me. Why must we start to become invisible to some and treated as if we are ignorant? There seems to be younger people who don’t notice age and those that just don’t like older people. Many, I believe, are not aware of being exclusive of the older population.
Thanks for this, and for posing the question back to us readers. At 64, I feel creakier and more tired than I expected to. Self-recrimination follows, because I knew I needed to keep up with my yoga practice and daily walks, but the immediacies of family and vocation demands interfered, regularly. Bc Life does that. The biggest challenge now is learning from regret and choosing deliberately. I want to benefit from my wisdom.
The road is not smooth or straight, is it? I suspect one of the bits of wisdom we pick up along the way is to give our own selves grace for the journey.
Thanks, Carol, what a beautiful way to invite us into considering our attitudes about age!!
Late to the table with reading this but loved it! I see reflected many of my own feelings about aging. I have never "felt" my numerical age, whatever that is supposed to feel like! I'm always surprised when facts occasionally "jolt" me like, 1972, when I graduated from college, was actually 50 years ago?? Noooo, that can't be right?! Age is a number and I'm blessed to have many friends and family, of all ages, in my life, which makes for such a rich tapestry of continuing experiences and points of view!
One thing I keep reminding myself of, Cathy, is that I don't really know hwat 72 is supposed to feel like because I've never been there before. And that helps me see those who've gone before me in a different light, too.
My actual gain of years has not “aged” me as much as how others respond to me. Why must we start to become invisible to some and treated as if we are ignorant? There seems to be younger people who don’t notice age and those that just don’t like older people. Many, I believe, are not aware of being exclusive of the older population.
Agree, Paulette. It's often an awareness thing. that's one reason I don't hide my age.
Thank you for sharing this. I very much enjoyed reading it.
Thanks for this, and for posing the question back to us readers. At 64, I feel creakier and more tired than I expected to. Self-recrimination follows, because I knew I needed to keep up with my yoga practice and daily walks, but the immediacies of family and vocation demands interfered, regularly. Bc Life does that. The biggest challenge now is learning from regret and choosing deliberately. I want to benefit from my wisdom.
The road is not smooth or straight, is it? I suspect one of the bits of wisdom we pick up along the way is to give our own selves grace for the journey.