You Know You Are Old When

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Like when I had an eye exam. We have a top notch eye center 6 miles away. Wife had lens replaced, now doesn't wear glasses.
Anyway I'm having this exam by this gorgeous brunette (WOW ), probably late 20s...early 30s. I asked about the optometrist who I see next for more tests. "How old is he?". She says "Your vision is 20-20...but the doctor? Oh he's old...I mean REAL old. Ancient. He's been here forever".
When I saw him I asked his age...he was a month younger than me. I felt an inch tall.
Worse yet I see this guy at Walmart in really bad shape. Oxygen, walker, barely able to walk, humped over. Hadn't seen him in almost 60 years and he was my best friend...same age.

 

[newbury]

I design equipment used for testing things like aircraft, tanks, and missiles for radio hardening, EM susceptibility, to threats like EM pulse weapons, nuclear blasts, etc. My customers, who specify and execute these tests, are all working under the assumption that the first strike in any first-world military conflict will be the immediate destruction of their opponents communications and/or power grid.

So, I sure hope that our young men and women who will lead us through any such conflict can at least handle doing some basic math without the aid of Siri, as she and all consumer-level cloud-dependent technology will most defintely become quickly inaccessible. Even most militarized systems will be vulnerable to reduced capability and dependability, if not downright inoperable.

That's why it is important to teach our young ones the basic manual ways of doing things. For example I tried to make sure all my children knew how to use a regular saw, both rip and crosscut, even though I rarely use either any more. I was also lucky enough to inherit a 5' manual crosscut saw which I taught them on before introduction to chain saws.

 

[ultrarunner]

I’m losing friends and neighbors and they are going quick… 2 to 3 months.

Visited several yesterday…

One was out and about with his Gator into March and active and feeling good… pancreatic cancer on home hospice… he was glad to see me and said it’s not so bad because he had time to pass on instructions to the family and set up a meeting with his company cpa and their lawyer with wife and kids… wife is in denial but his son has really stepped up… son has a construction company a couple hours away and has been with his dad Thursday night through Monday morning… his dad keeps saying you need to be on the job and son said I need to be here.

 

[BravoXray]

When I saw him I asked his age...he was a month younger than me. I felt an inch tall.
Worse yet I see this guy at Walmart in really bad shape. Oxygen, walker, barely able to walk, humped over. Hadn't seen him in almost 60 years and he was my best friend...same age.

Yeah, but it's not always the years, but the mileage and the upkeep.

 

[ultrarunner]

Hard miles… drinking and smoking take a toll…

I wonder how recreational drug users will fair?

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[drssg]

When I started at the hospital 35 years ago my take was the patients in general were old in their 60’s and 70’s

Now everyday many patients around my age and younger…

When I was in my early 20s, I knew an old Amish guy that became a significant figure in my life.

I was thinking of him recently, and we had lost touch a long time ago. I figured that he had to be long dead by now.

I wasn't optimistic, but I put his name and hometown in a search engine. I was surprised to get a hit on his obituary, and he had just died a couple of years ago.

As it turns out, that "old" Amish guy was in his early 40s when I met him.

 

[jyoutz]

Hard miles… drinking and smoking take a toll…

I wonder how recreational drug users will fair?

I believe Willie Nelson is in his 90s, but he’s probably an exception to how most recreational drug users end up.

 

[Whittsend]

I may have written this earlier but I was in line waiting to check in with my eye MD for an annual appt and I had a busy day ahead. I scheduled a 7:00 AM appt so I can get in and get out pronto.

I'm waiting in line and several old geezers are holding up progress with redundant questions, poor hearing and general stumbling and bumbling around looking for insurance cards and whatever. I had stuff to do so was thinking just move it or step aside. I'm on the clock, Jack.

Imagine my shock when I overheard the birthdate of the several old timers that were in front of me. I was older than each one and by at least five years. It's OK to be old but it's not OK to give in to it.

Clint Eastwood has the right idea with "Just don't let the old man in".

It's a sign when you start your posts "I may have written this earlier" You might have CRS

 

[WinterDeere]

I wonder how recreational drug users will fair?

"I wish you folks would start considering what kind of world you're leaving behind for Keith and I." -- Willie Nelson, speaking of Keith Richards

 

[masseyrider]

I’m losing friends and neighbors and they are going quick…

Many of my friends are 10-15 years older and they are starting to drop like flies.
4 neighbors inside the last year. Friends wife just weeks ago. He's on dialysis and oxygen. Just a few years ago he was the one showing up at my place early mornings ready to take on any project. It took me ages to get him to wait until 9AM.
Another is on death watch.
Others have serious health issues, "suddenly."
That's the thing aboot life, nobody except Willie and Keith and a few select cockroaches get out of it alive.

 

[scootr]

Once you realize your old you better start enjoying your friends, family, and days.
Forget the little stuff that bothers you and enjoy life right where you are now or else

 

[WinterDeere]

Once you realize your old you better start enjoying your friends, family, and days.
Forget the little stuff that bothers you and enjoy life right where you are now or else

Good advice, esp. considering how much evidence we have of human nature being the opposite, folks getting "old and cranky".

 

[scootr]

Good advice, esp. considering how much evidence we have of human nature being the opposite, folks getting "old and cranky".

Yeah, I got a friend who is getting old and bitter. Negative about everything. It's not pretty or wise to be that way.
I'm sure we all have reasons to be tainted but it just ruins the day.

 

[rontaki]

From the popular song:

Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think
Enjoy yourself, while you're still in the pink
The years go by, as quickly as a wink
Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it's later than you think

 

[PA318Guy]

I bet if you played New York, New York they'd at least know the song, then you could tell them that was Frank Sinatra.

 

[rontaki]

I bet if you played New York, New York they'd at least know the song, then you could tell them that was Frank Sinatra.

For youngsters of my (de)generation, there's this version of New York, New York by Nina Hagen - a different song than Sinatra's.

 

[sixdogs]

Hard miles… drinking and smoking take a toll…

I wonder how recreational drug users will fair?

View attachment 3558249

And they're only in their 40's...

 

[Jstpssng]

And they're only in their 40's...

"I was talkin' to my doctor down at the hospital
He said, "Son, it says here you're 27, but that's impossible"
Cocaine
"You look like you could be 45"

 

[Alan46]

"I was talkin' to my doctor down at the hospital
He said, "Son, it says here you're 27, but that's impossible"
Cocaine
"You look like you could be 45"

One of my favorites from that album (Running On Empty) if you’re going to listen to that song for the first time, stay to the end !!!