How can we stop becoming 'old' as we age?

"however"

Spill Nonu! Please!

Oh, thanks, jingl! Thought it was just me!

Well, yes, jings, "the stuff that comes with it". Still no point worrying about it; one just has to get on with it as best one can, same as the rest of life. Besides, plenty of shit stuff happens to young people. I guess I'm just rebelling against the youth culture we live in which seems to think staying young is the be all and end all.

Way to go, B!

I'm just ME. I don't really understand how I'll feel when I become old - when will I know I've become old, anyway? I have a friend who is 73, and for a few years, she's been saying, "Well, I'm an old lady now, you know. She allows herself to be taken for walks, because she knows it's good for her.....However, I've never been 'taken' anywhere - I go myself, if I want to.
messenger, my DH did his National Service as well - there are heaps of them around! They are not old men yet!

Why would an elderly person dread behaving in accordance with their age?

I wouldn't make any particular effort to 'stay young'.

You're right, Marelli - DH just missed out but his friend did National Service and is only 74 or 75...

Mine was in the last 'lot', Ana He's 74 on his next birthday - and he's certainly not 'old'.
petallus, I agree. It's really a case of how we feel, not how we see ourselves, isn't it?

I think Kitty the answer to mental ageing is in the third paragraph of your opening post. I bet your in-laws are particular as to who they mix with on holiday too. They're isolating themselves from the world and looking inwards. Therein lies stagnation of the mind.

As to physical ageing - I rather fear we're stuck with that.

OH nearly 40 I am just 60 ,have a 30 year old son and E 14 next month have I got a chance of being old ....no all my friends are younger and at school was told Immature...so who is having the last laugh now..

She who laughs last, laughs the longest, Nellie!!

marelli

Dh missed National service too, it was delayed as he was studying, then abolished. Our best man was in the last batch - as would I have been had I not been a girl.

At 73 I do not consider myself over the hill yet, or in a minority of "auld yins". There are lots of us around who received call-up papers, (or our boyfriends and brothers did)

Elegran- having met you, I wouldn't consider you to be an 'auld yin', either!

My DH was one of the last to do National Service.

I sometimes wonder if I am too young for my age.

I like tv progs that are obviously not aimed at my age group such as Misfits and The Inbetweeners.

And then of course there's Merlin

There are people who are 'unadventurous' 'dull' whatever you want to call it of all ages.. they have a narrow outlook on life and do not look to broaden experience..that is their choice and if they are content there is no problem.

Others enjoy a different approach and actively seek to keep a lively mind and enjoy new experiences. Look at the amazing Diana Athill for example!

I suppose the worry is when people appear to 'slow down' mentally. We all know physical aches and pains can impinge on activity but I hope I will always want to read, keep up with news and enjoy new films, music and theatre etc.
even if gardening and walking get beyond my physical capabilities in the future.

Crimson, no I don't listen to the radio at all nowadays. I used to listen to Radio 1 in the mornings before work as Chris Moyles would often make me laugh. However, his programme frustrated me because it was mainly pop music, not the rock and alternative stuff I mostly prefer. Eventually he, himself, got on my nerves because his show became too much chat and not enough music. The only other time I listened to radio was in the car. Then I had to get a new cd player and the aerial connection wasn't compatible. Have never got around to getting an adapter so it's just cds I listen to nowadays. I vowed I would never lose touch with the charts, fearing I would start to think 'old' but I have lost touch. However, they really don't mean much do they ? I find new music via the internet, mostly. I have 'discovered' loads of brilliant bands and singers that way .

As for 'The Hunger Games', no I haven't read the books or seen the film. Haven't really paid much attention to either. Twilight was different because I love stuff to do with vampires .

I don't think I'm deliberately trying to stay young - more just ignoring age altogether. I know there are things I can't do, short skirts look obscene with my legs, killer heels give me cramp and heavy make up sits in my wrinkles and quadruples them. But generally I still do things I've always done. I do colour my hair because when I look in the mirror I know that ME doesn't have gray hair

I do have the awful example of my MiL in front of me. After a hysterectomy in her 40's she was delighted not to have to bother about all the sex stuff any more (not sure what FiL thought) and embraced semi invalidity with relish. By the time she was 60 she was assuring me that she was far too old to bother about clothes, while she wore the same crimplene dress day after day, usually with one of her "lovely" hand knitted black cardigans. Obviously she'd given up on the hairdresser by then and scraped her hair back into a bun which added a good 10 years on its own. This is a woman who's only 17 years older than me so hardly even a different generation! (Just different)

Oh dear! Deedaa. How depressing ! Then again, that's probably the problem exactly .

I wondered where all the good music had gone to until I discovered Radio6. Steve Lamacq, Tom Ravenscroft [John Peels lad] et al have all moved there. I listen to it on the telly or the computer but can't get it in the car.

Ah yes, Crimson! Steve Lamacq has interviewed the lead singer of my favourite band before, I seem to remember. I was going to listen but was too lazy to try to tune in my radio . That's a lot of the problem with me: laziness or technophobia - or both!

Have you listened to Alt J; I played them non stop after they won the Mercury Music Awards. A bit marmite but strangely addictive .

Well after the last few comments about music, suddenly feel older than I did two minutes ago.
I still bop to buddy holly and that ilk.

However, I feel that I want to fight the physical age thing as long as possible and not just take preventative pills and be told by the GP that its an age related problem every time I go.
My mum was fighting fit til she was 84 then they told her she had very high cholesterol and should go on a diet of chicken and veg. It frightened the life out of her almost literally and she was never the same again. Suddenly on 5 pills a day for various things, told her readings were still high, scared her more, went on more restricted diet and stopped enjoying anything. Long story but when someone believes that doctors are the oracle it can have a devastating effect. Now 89 and still got high cholesterol and the doc is still harping on about it!
Glad I went down the alternative route many years ago and intend to continue, as it has only been good for me so far.

Right Mental Attitude , so there , ! laugh

Let pose a question , why don"t you , {as some people seem to think I am incorrect} ask either your family or maybe friends , what their take on it is ??

Lots of New year smiles to you all.