Old Farts: Share Your Experiences Here

  • Thread starter Ivan Seeking
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In summary: I'm going to die. In summary, some people are concerned about getting old, others are fearful of death, and some are just worried about life in general.
  • #1
Ivan Seeking
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Okay, this is a thread for old farts to complain about aging.

You know who you are. :rofl:

:biggrin:

Well, maybe the thread shouldn't be quite so limited, but two things have been bothering me lately. First, teeth. I had a leaky crown that has caused all sorts of problems. It has taken over a year to get this all fully resolved. Every time I have to go to the dentist it makes me feel old.

The really tough one is watching family members and friends grow old. My parents are both old enough and in poor enough health to be a daily concern. Tsu's mom is already gone, and her dad is also a constant concern. Also, my best buddy, my longest friend in life, is now 80. Frankly, every time he doesn't answer the phone [as happened 5 minutes ago] I worry. He has been close to death a couple of times already, and I think he now has four terminal illnesses. But I understand from him, being that he has out lived all of his oldest friends less one - me - that watching your friends go is the hardest thing of all. For about fifteen years, talking with Jim was to get the latest on funeral services.

Anyway, not to be too depressing, but maybe a few people have something to say about getting old.
 
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  • #2
Ivan Seeking said:
Anyway, not to be too depressing, but maybe a few people have something to say about getting old.

Just one thing to say...it's the one thing in life worth procrastinating on. :biggrin: I was going to say just don't do it, but the alternative doesn't seem much better. :uhh:
 
  • #3
Funerals..illnesses...getting old, thanks for getting me worried. Anything else?
 
  • #4
The_Professional said:
Funerals..illnesses...getting old, thanks for getting me worried. Anything else?

Other than all of the gas, not really. :biggrin:
 
  • #5
Ivan Seeking said:
Other than all of the gas, not really. :biggrin:
I didn't know that you get gas, but you've certainly caused more than your share. :tongue:
 
  • #6
Living in the time I did, a lot of my friends are dead from drugs. The few lucky live ones are serving life sentences for drug traficking.

I don't do drugs. I enjoy the things around me. I love meeting new people, even if over the internet. So many great people out here to get to know. They make me laugh and make me realize that there is so much to learn and laugh abought and understand.

I'm not that old, none of us are. Based on the longevity in my family, I will be fully cognizant for another 50 years, at least. And then some. :approve:
 
  • #7
Still too young to die, but never too old to Rock & Roll. :cool:

There certainly is the issue of the mortality of my parents generation. All the grandparents are gone. My wife's uncles are all gone, and a few aunts.

My only problem is that it can take weeks to heal when I get banged up. I got 'thwacked' by a tree. I was moving a fallen tree (it was hanging over the road near my house) to the side. So, it being a pretty dead tree, I got the brilliant idea of lifting the end and running with it, by which I planned to snapped the trunk (the base was jammed between two other trees). Well the 'dead' tree still had some strength. When my feet got onto the shoulder, I slipped, the tree recoiled, and I got thrown about 10 feet back onto the pavement and landed on my hip. OUCH! It took about 3 weeks for the pain and stiffness to subside. :biggrin:

It wasn't as bad as falling out of a tree and hitting the ground sideways, or breaking the fall of one my mates (all 230 lbs of him) with my chest. Those took a few months for the internal bruising to heal. :biggrin:

Oh, well, perhaps it's time to slow down . . . .




Nah! :biggrin:
 
  • #8
Evo said:
I'm not that old, none of us are. Based on the longevity in my family, I will be fully cognizant for another 50 years, at least. And then some.

Now come on, you all see those worrisome little things. You know what they are. Fess up.
 
  • #9
I mail-ordered some music CDs, including one by the Anita Kerr Singers. Some kind soul at the warehouse tucked in an A.A.R.P. membership blank for me.
 
  • #10
A year ago April I turned 49, and for some reason that number didn't bother me a bit. This year, however, I decided to turn 28 on my birthday. I suggested the same tactic to Evo.

Horror stories: I frighten myself by continually having the same thought pop into my head when I look in the mirror lately, that if I just get a really good night's sleep some of these wrinkles will clear up. Also: if I just make some kind of change in my diet some of this thinning hair will probably thicken back up.

Then there's the Homer Simpson syndrome that kicks in where, the vow to live your life to the fullest means you are going to eat two of those disgustingly sweet, creme-filled doughnuts.
 
  • #11
Ivan Seeking said:
Now come on, you all see those worrisome little things. You know what they are. Fess up.
No wrinkles for me yet. I take after my grandmother ...smooth skin. All of those years hiding from the sun, being white as a ghost have paid off. :biggrin:

Yep, zooby and I are 28.
 
  • #12
Evo said:
No wrinkles for me yet...
Yep, zooby and I are 28.
Thing is, you actually look 28. I am dependent on shakey camera work, grainy film, and a full body costume for my youthful appearance.
 
  • #13
zoobyshoe said:
Thing is, you actually look 28. I am dependent on shakey camera work, grainy film, and a full body costume for my youthful appearance.

LOL! I thought 29 was a good age, so I stopped counting after that. :biggrin:
 
  • #14
Moonbear said:
LOL! I thought 29 was a good age, so I stopped counting after that. :biggrin:
29 is good. To be honest, nothing between 40 and 49 bothered me in the least, and I would have been happy if I could have frozen my age anywhere in there for the rest of my life.
 
  • #15
bah don't worry one of these days one of you scientists are going to make the shot that makes us immortal :biggrin: but then the religious people will come into picture :devil:
 
  • #16
Kakarot said:
but then the religious people will come into picture :devil:
Naw... they won't want to mess with 'the plan', so they'll just go ahead and die out. Evolution in action. :biggrin:
 
  • #17
zoobyshoe said:
Thing is, you actually look 28. I am dependent on shakey camera work, grainy film, and a full body costume for my youthful appearance.
Things are becoming clear now. This is why you have such an affinity for William Shatner masks and Breasted Gorilla suits. What is the infatuation with weird purple jellyfish all about?
 
  • #18
Astronuc said:
It wasn't as bad as falling out of a tree and hitting the ground sideways, or breaking the fall of one my mates (all 230 lbs of him) with my chest. Those took a few months for the internal bruising to heal. :biggrin:

Oh, well, perhaps it's time to slow down . . . .
I hope you didn't drop the bong... :rolleyes:

My most constant reminder of age is what it's done to my eyes -- constantly swapping glasses, & never seeing quite right anymore.

Knees complain more than they used to, but since I went back to school I don't have time to run as much anyway. But there's no escaping the eye thing. It's a real insult.
 
  • #19
Huckleberry said:
Things are becoming clear now. This is why you have such an affinity for William Shatner masks and Breasted Gorilla suits. What is the infatuation with weird purple jellyfish all about?
If you can get back to about page 50 of the stupid quetions and read through the next 3 or 4 pages you will learn the origins of Alfred Einstein's Jellitivity as well as some info about Jelliphysics in general.
 
  • #20
gnome said:
My most constant reminder of age is what it's done to my eyes -- constantly swapping glasses, & never seeing quite right anymore.
Damn, you're right! I forgot to even mention this bifocals versus two separate pair thing that eaten up so much money. I feel like I haven't seen one thing in the world clearly for at least five years.
 
  • #21
I will be 49 this year too. My eyes are kinda fuzzy in the AM, but then clear up as the day goes by. At night, my left knee and ankle start to ache, too many ski accidents I guess.
I find getting old is not so bad.
 
  • #22
gnome said:
Knees complain more than they used to, but since I went back to school I don't have time to run as much anyway. But there's no escaping the eye thing. It's a real insult.

hypatia said:
At night, my left knee and ankle start to ache, . . . .

The joints definitely. Knees hurt if I sit too long - occupational hazard of working on a computer. I usually go for a walk during the day just to get all my joints moving.

I developed a moderate case of carpal tunnel syndrome in my left arm. I did exercises to overcome it and learn to position my arm differently.

I now do some moderate weight-training, which I will increase with time, and I need to be more consistent with stretching excercises.

gnome said:
I hope you didn't drop the bong...
?? Not sure what that means. No drugs involved.

I was in a tree to collect pine cones for a project. The branch I was holding snapped, and I had an unplanned exit from the tree. My feet got caught on a lower branch and I rotated to head down. I extended my right elbow just before I hit the ground, which protected my head. The elbow hit soft ground and left a 3" depression. I hit in the order of elbow, shoulder/head, rib-cage, hip and legs. The hip and legs hit rock, but my ribcage had already absorbed most of the energy. I definitely felt internal organs shifting sideways, but nothing tore loose.

As for breaking the fall of my friend, that was during a volley ball game. We went (jumped) for the ball simultaneously. I hit the ground first, he followed and sat on my chest and diaphragm. That too was rather painful, but fortunately no broken ribs.
 
  • #23
I hate it when I wake up and something hurts for no apparent reason. Then there's that sound I make when I have to get out of a chair or off the couch. I get called "Old School" by fellow students and get the side-to-side "buddy hug" by co-eds which means ...you're sweet but don't even think about it, you're my Dads age. :cry: Whatever happened to 25? :frown: BTW, if the cute, freckle-faced girl that wears scrubs from the Chem class before my Calc class is reading this...DANG! All I said was hi. (she smells like cookies and has a neck that you could just BITE:!) )REAAAARRRGGGHHH!
 
  • #24
Kakarot said:
bah don't worry one of these days one of you scientists are going to make the shot that makes us immortal :biggrin: but then the religious people will come into picture :devil:


They'll have a lot of company. Think about it. First the 'shot' would be offered to only the wealthy the famous, politicians, scientists, etc. for a lot of money. Then, however those who champion all sorts of causes would scream that the poor are being exploited again, so great effort would be expended to provide for everyone. Then the population would really, really explode and living standards would plummet. Then economists, environmentalists and a whole bunch of others would queue up with those religious people.
 
  • #25
'Old' is a little bit older than I am.
 
  • #26
Evo said:
Yep, zooby and I are 28.
I'm more honest than that. It doesn't bother me a bit to tell people I'm 31. :rofl:

I'd have to agree watching my parents get older bothers me more than my age. My Dad has Parkinson's disease and that really bothers me and age is finally catching up with my mother-in-law. She's a widow and should have retired a long time ago, but being 'essential' due to knowing just about everything about what her department has ever done really adds something to her life. If her health problems keep on and she has to finally quit working, I don't know what will happen to her.

The main effects for me are those 'minor' bumps and bruises turn into months long annoyances and that 'outdoorsy' complexion is starting to just look old.

Plus, if they're out of Natural Instincts for Men and you have to go to the women's hair aisle, it takes an hour to decide which shade you want. :rofl:
 
  • #27
Im 29 right now, 30 next jan. A few things I've started noticing.

1. My shins/ankles kinda hurt for about 30 mins in the morning. I rolled my ankle about a year ago real bad so this is most likely the cause. I have yet to break a single bone in my body in my entire life though.

2. Bathroom number 2 smells real bad. I remember when i was young and my uncle taking sh!ts and man alive did that make me sick. I've always thought how could one ever stink that bad. Now that I am an uncle I fear they are thinking the same thing. I believe this is mostly due to diet.

3. After a big meal I too now enjoy a nap on the couch. =/

4. If i could go back in time 15 years i would kick my own ass for being a dumbass. Funny how you think you know everything from 14-20 years of age.

5. Talking with kids that are 15-20 now and noticing how bright and white their teath are while mine are not so healthy looking. (not like they are that bad) I brush everyday but they simply don't look as white as you age. Perhaps quitting coffee or getting a whitening kit will help.
 
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  • #28
My hairline is already in retreat. I'm 19 :(
 
  • #29
I was really feeling like a geezer this morning. I heard on the radio that Journey is going to be in concert, and I was like wooohooo! Journey in Concert!

And then I thought about how long that band's been around, and the fact that I have the Escape album on vinyl somewhere in the back of my closet.

I'm ancient.
 
  • #30
Moonbear said:
LOL! I thought 29 was a good age, so I stopped counting after that. :biggrin:
Tick, tick, tick... T-7 months and counting... :cry:
 
  • #31
russ_watters said:
Tick, tick, tick... T-7 months and counting... :cry:
You're going to age even faster than the rest of us. I just spotted your name in another site, you two-timer! The guilt of cheating on us will bring you to an early end. :tongue:
 
  • #32
Math Is Hard said:
I was really feeling like a geezer this morning. I heard on the radio that Journey is going to be in concert, and I was like wooohooo! Journey in Concert!

And then I thought about how long that band's been around, and the fact that I have the Escape album on vinyl somewhere in the back of my closet.

I'm ancient.
The strangest statistic about how old my generation was getting? Most of Clinton's cabinet was younger than the Rolling Stones. (Now there's some guys that have really aged badly. :yuck: )
 
  • #33
FOr me, its the music. I came of age in the early eighties when the only decent music came from the independant scene. During my last year of college, Nirvana released "Bleach." When I began teaching, there was at least that overlap: I like Nirvana, they (HS students) like Nirvana.

Now, I'm a little tired of Nirvana, and they have never heard of Nirvana.

I find myself saying things like : "the music these kids listen to these days is meaningless; not like the music of my generation" etc etc.

I remember the old hippies who would say the same thing about my music.

Oh God, I'm an old hippie.
 
  • #34
Chi Meson said:
Oh God, I'm an old hippie.
Not even close! To be an old hippie, your scene had to have included the Mamas and the Papas, the 5th Dimension, Ocean, Joplin, Hendrix, The Band, The Troggs, The Kinks, and lots more. (I wonder how many kids these days are discovering The Who for the first time because of the CSI title sequences.)
 
  • #35
Danger said:
I wonder how many kids these days are discovering The Who for the first time because of the CSI title sequences.

And that's "late" Who. Way past the seminal years IMOH (and correct) O.

And BTW, I knew my Mama AND my Papa, so I don't get your meaning.
 

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