How old are you?
- IMADreamer
- Has an anecdote about a townie he overheard.
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Re: How old are you?
Seriously question about age. Sometimes when you think about how old you are and think back at things that are now 20+ year ago does it freak you out a little? I'm not having like some huge breakdown over it, but sometimes when I think about my age and how much time is left I get a little weirded out. Especially now that I'm hitting middle age and my body does not do what it used to and my back and hands hurt about every day.
- sighyoung
- Mayor of GRB
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Re: How old are you?
I feel odd about it. In reality, I probably only have twenty years left, at most, although my father lived to be 79, my mother is 90, and three of my grandparents lived into their eighties or nineties. But I do have to be realistic and assume that I could easily die in the next few years.
When I look in the mirror, I still think of myself as I did when I was in my twenties--not having much power, trying to make ends meet, and so on. I don't feel old--I feel like I've had the same struggles since graduate school. Yet my son is now grown and living abroad, and my daughter graduates from high school this year, and she's definitely moving out. I'll be an empty nester for the first time.
I think death will become real for me when my mother passes. I've been responsible for my mother's bills and medical payments for nine years, but it's hard to think about your own mortality when a parent is still around. It's a family connection that's existed all my life, and which I've taken for granted. But she will probably die within the next few months--if not from breast cancer, then one of a dozen other ailments. Seeing her age, and reading all the medical reports about this problem or that problem, watching her mental decline, finding out that she's had at least one stroke, and possibly two--I'm much more aware of quality of life than I was just a couple of years ago.
Right now, the adjustments I've made as I age are relatively minor: taking my glasses off when reading, stretching every day to overcome muscle tightness, stepping up strength exercises to maintain, keeping lists to keep track of different tasks I have to do--but age is definitely catching up to me. I'll feel it more starkly when my daughter leaves home and my mother dies.
When I look in the mirror, I still think of myself as I did when I was in my twenties--not having much power, trying to make ends meet, and so on. I don't feel old--I feel like I've had the same struggles since graduate school. Yet my son is now grown and living abroad, and my daughter graduates from high school this year, and she's definitely moving out. I'll be an empty nester for the first time.
I think death will become real for me when my mother passes. I've been responsible for my mother's bills and medical payments for nine years, but it's hard to think about your own mortality when a parent is still around. It's a family connection that's existed all my life, and which I've taken for granted. But she will probably die within the next few months--if not from breast cancer, then one of a dozen other ailments. Seeing her age, and reading all the medical reports about this problem or that problem, watching her mental decline, finding out that she's had at least one stroke, and possibly two--I'm much more aware of quality of life than I was just a couple of years ago.
Right now, the adjustments I've made as I age are relatively minor: taking my glasses off when reading, stretching every day to overcome muscle tightness, stepping up strength exercises to maintain, keeping lists to keep track of different tasks I have to do--but age is definitely catching up to me. I'll feel it more starkly when my daughter leaves home and my mother dies.
- Fat_Bulldog
- likes to grate his own cheese
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Re: How old are you?
Yes. I feel the same way IMA. I'm 41. I get weirded out how my mind plays tricks on me about time.
And sigh, my parents passed a few years ago. My mortality became something I thought about then.
And sigh, my parents passed a few years ago. My mortality became something I thought about then.
- heyzeus
- Everday Unicorn
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Re: How old are you?
Today, a little older.
- redbirdjazzz
- Perennial All-Star
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- sighyoung
- Mayor of GRB
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- Joined: April 17 06, 7:42 pm
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Re: How old are you?
- heyzeus
- Everday Unicorn
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Re: How old are you?
Exactly!
- GeddyWrox
- Caught you a delicious bass
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Re: How old are you?
Well, not because of the birthday anyway. (Gestures wildly all around)
- obucard
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- stlouie_lipp
- Hallelujah Brother
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Re: How old are you?
Goodfellas is 30.