Geriatric??

I agree that Silverfish is mistaken to think all men and women behave like this. It suggests that all men are too stupid to know when they are being manipulated and all women are dishonest and manipulative.

Sorry, nina, distracted from the OP! They say 'care of the elderly' round here. I don't mind being 'elderly'. At 70+ I can't say I'm 'young', can I? A more contentious question is, what is middle-age?

Silverfish, I think you must have been in some unfortunate relationships. Except when my children were small, when I considered that I earned my share of the family income by looking after our children I have always worked and been financially independent. I have never had to use any wiles of any kind to weedle anything out of DH. We have both always funded our own personal expenditure and the rest has gone into the common pot.

But to return to the subject! When an aunt of mine, in her 80s, was rushed to hospital her GP was absolutely insistent that she was not to go into the geriatric ward but be admitted to the general medical ward. I understand that no one quite understand why, but the hospital followed the GP's instructions. When my aunt's condition had been stabilised and she had had a good night's sleep they found out why. She was a highly intelligent woman who had been the head of a large school of nursing in London and still had a razor sharp mind. They told her the story and said the GP was right she would have been quite out of place in geriatrics where most of the patients had dementia.

Agree with mcem, lilygran and earlier posters - you certainly are speaking for me Silverfish, at any stage of my life.

I still felt middle aged in my 50's Lilygran, but now in my mid 60's, I accept I'm part of an older generation. I suspect that longer life spans, and much improved diet/health care, means that people in their 60's and 70's are fitter than previous generations were in those age groups.

Finding the right term to name an age group - I prefer adolescent to teen, but how long is adolescence these days. I used to think it ended around 18, when young people could vote, and get married without parental consent. That still feels about right to me, but given how many adult children are still living with parents, or in shared houses, I wonder if adolescence has been extended. If so, maybe that's fair also, because that generation will be working till their 90's the way pension provision is being changed.

whats wrong with stirring up a lively debate, I really do think men are useless and can be manipulated to get their money etc, however what are we all doing on here, are we all having a moan or do we want a lively debate. I use the phrase 'we all' in the loosest way possible, of course I don't know whats in individual minds and to suggest otherwise is silly so when I say 'we' or 'we all', I am referring to what the majority of people I have met, what I have learned from the media and from life experience.
I do think that not everyone is honest as I am, I get the impression that many of you try to give out an edited version of yourselves. At least Im honest

ARGH - correction to previous post needed . I missed out the key word "not" in the first sentence. as in 'you certainly are NOT speaking for me Silverfish". That's what happens when you type and eat cereal at the same time, or when your age is showing in your word skills

Iam64, like Ive just said to think I am speaking about individuals is silly as I don't know you.

Silverfish you don't accept those posters who say they don't behave as you describe. You think it's because we aren't being honest? I think you are right about many of us not disclosing all our private lives on GN but that isn't the same as being dishonest. Not all women behave as you describe and not all men think with their d***s.

I certainly didn't seduce my late husband to get money. As I was the higher earner it was more likely to be the other way round.
In fact we worked as a partnership with each putting an amount into a joint account for household expenses.

I must say I think that's horrible. When I used to work in a factory as a young girl one of the overlookers there was married to a mean man. He was a drinker and she said the only way she managed to get the money together for their holidays with the kids was to charge him 2/6 a time. But us girls on the factory floor were shocked by that and that was in the sixties.

Wasn't there a film about a young couple and an older man offered a large quantity of money for sex with the girl? I forget the name of the film ,the stars and the amount of money. I think that is a tad geriatric. The film was set in Las Vegas?

Silver I believe you are in the minority on here and should recognise that.

I also would never use sex to get anything from Mr N, I don't need to. We have an adult relationship where each has put and continues to put different things into our marriage. It surprises me that you seem to think contributions are only about money when there are so many aspects to a marriage.

We have one bank account and never quarrel about money. Each of us has put in every penny we earned and now get from pensions and we use it for the marriage not the individual. Smallish amounts we each just spend, larger amounts we discuss. Simple.

Well expressed Nonnie.

silverfish , your post of 22.32 Golly gosh , Not applicable in my case, if I want anything I just go and buy it I DON"T have to ASK anyone!

Charly

Nonu me too! Why do some people make life so complicated?

Standard procedure when a bored poster feels in need of getting a bit of excitement from the forum and can't think of anything interesting to post about, Nonnie. I suspect Silverfish gets bored very fast and depends on winding up the threads for entertainment.

If Silverfish wants to regale us with her sexual transactions that is up to her, but my (very different) love life will remain private, thank you.

I have never, ever in my whole life used sex as a bargaining gambit to get or not get anything. No, not once. I would never demean myself in that way and that is an honest statement. DH and I have an equal relationship and the subservience to another that goes with needing to use sex as weapon is alien to our relationship.

My experiences of both genders through out my life is that they are much the same, they come nice, they come nasty, they come clever, intelligent, stupid, less bright. The full range of types is found in both genders. i have also come across those that continually run down their own gender or the opposite gender and men and women who think flaunting their sexuality is how to make their way through life and to be honest I avoid them. they are boring.

Silverfish you have some strange, some would say nasty opinions of women and of men. I am sorry that your life is not as you would like it to be, but dont criticise and make snarky comments about the rest of us. Deeply offensive, not funny, and not contributing to debate. As to the original honest debate that was started.....I think that many of the terms used to describe older people can be a bit open to interpretation, I am in my mid fifties and think I am early middle aged, but I suppose that somebody of 30 would think I am late middle aged. Mum aged 83 talks about 'old folk' as if she is not included in the group, and gets irritated when patronised.

Good post

This debate reminds me of Bercows wife, her related seducing of her husband before she went on telly, and look at him what have we let ourselves in for with him for a speaker.

Phoenix - another advantage of "older" employees is that they / we take far less time off for illness, than younger people.

If you are desperate for money it would be worth taking a job with shifts that you don't like, without letting the employer know that, then after a bit some better shifts might become available or you might get another job; another piece of info is that, apparently, a job applicant who is already in a job is more likely to be successful than someone who is not.

Go gettem, girl!!

When my MIL lay dying in a nursing home, a lady who'd been very friendly with her came in most upset, particularly because MIL was "just a young 'un". It was so touching. MIL was 93 and her friend 100.

It is always simply a medical term. Only a word. Why worry?

When a very kind young French girl on the beach yesterday, asked my daughter if she thought I could manage a deck chair or did I want a more upright kind of chair, we both (dd and me) did find it very funny.

Ha Ha, jingl. If a young girl were to ask me if I could manage a deck chair, I would suggest she come back in a couple of hours when I'm trying to get out of it!

Agree with you Jingl about it just being a word, and it doesn't bother me.
But language changes all the time, words which started off being perfectly acceptable become beyond the pale because of the way they are used.

Spastic is also a medical term, but who would use it in polite conversation now. The Spastics Society had to change their name because it had assumed a perjorative meaning.
Geriatric is following the same path.