How Will I know When I am Old?

                                      How Will I Know When I Am Old????

(If you are looking for a travel blog...scroll on two blogs)

Circle of life...90,59,31, and 10

When does "old" begin?  Do I wake up one morning and figure out that I am now old?  Do I turn the calendar to a new year and determine that I am now old? Maybe it's the moment I enter a new decade that I am old.  Am I old right now????  What does the word old even mean?  Dictionary.com tells me that old means, "far advanced in the years of one's or its life".  

Am I old because of chronological age...or is the saying true, "You're as young as you feel"?  My birth year starts with a 1...they tell me that means I can absolutely drink legally now when they do a fast glance at my license.  I hate to tell them...legal drinking age was 18 when I turned 18!!

Betty White's 99th birthday January 17th got me thinking about this topic of age.  She's OLD...or at least it seems that way to me.  She looks absolutely beautiful.  She is still working, and to an outsider's view...seems pretty happy.  Likely the vodka and hotdogs are a contributing factor to happiness!!

At the Pickerd household we are actually currently working on the correct answer to that question about being old.  Last year when Al hurt his back he struggled to get upstairs to our bedroom, and our shower.  We have a half bath on the main floor, but that doesn't have a shower.  After his surgery, he currently is doing well...but how long will that last? 

We want to be in either a single floor ranch or condo by the time that we are old.  Do we start looking now at age 62?  62 doesn't seem "old", but maybe that is because we are here!  At 20 I thought a 62 year old was downright geriatric. Both of our parents lived in a house with 2 floors until they were in their late 80's.  My parents were in their 90's.  Maybe we can do it too...maybe not.  There needs to be a date to be old!  

Daily, I do things to try not to get "old"...or at least what I think indications of oldness are. I do them to keep my health in check.  Every day as I do these things I hope and pray that I am not getting old. While I diligently work on not getting old...am I still living life to the fullest?  I'd like to think that I am...but maybe one can't really stop the calendar from progressing. 

I guess I'd like to have faith that old is more about health than the calendar.  My grandmother lived until 102...and she sure didn't ACT like she was old.  My aunt lived into her late 90's...and she didn't act old either. After they sold their LP and Hardware Store business she worked 45 hours a week at a fast food restaurant until she was 87.    Can I keep flipping the calendar month by month and still not be old? 

Aunt Ida in her 90's...still smiling and positive!! (sadly, she passed in 2019)

Here's some things I do that maybe will help my life to still be in my control when I am old.  I do them because someone smarter than me has said that they MIGHT help the "aging process." I cannot escape the turning of the clock...but maybe I can slow it down a bit.

A) Daily, outdoor walking habit. Physical walking paired with outdoor air. 

B) Senior chair exercises to keep my legs stronger.  I twisted my knee/shin splints  in October, and these exercises seem to be helping with my ability to get down on the floor and play with my grandson.

C) Daily arm exercises. I broke my arm 2 years ago, and I have done daily exercises since I started PT.  I think the strength has come back in my arm at just about 100%...but I continue doing those exercises.

D) Drink a lot of water daily.  I find if I ever do get a headache it probably means that I am starting to dehydrate, and  a glass of water will miraculously solve the headache.

E) Daily Multivitamin and Vitamin D.   I am not on any medications, and only take something like Advil if I really need it (after I try water!!).

F) I try to get plenty of sleep.  Definitely some nights are better than others!!!  Generally, my phone is off and I am thinking about getting ready to go to bed and read about 10 PM...and usually get up at about 7.  

G) Daily Sudoku puzzles and Word Searches..."they" say those kind of things matter!  Worth a try anyway!

H) Daily flossing of my teeth...again one of those "they" things.  Do those people actually know something special?  I figure it can't hurt...

I) Travel as much as we can.  Explore new areas.  This has been a bit of a challenge in the pandemic, but I think it is important...and if nothing else I am motivated to stay young to continue traveling!!

J) Socialize with  friends.  This has also been a bit of a challenge in pandemic times...but we do what we can. 

K) Have a couple alcoholic drinks a few days a week.  My choice is beer and wine.  I usually have 2 or maybe 3...a few days a week.  I have no clue if this actually works...but it seems like a great idea anyway!  I really hope it is the key to eternal youth!!

L) Read...I love newspapers and magazines,  as well as books.  I read both fiction and non fiction.  I enjoy biographies...learning about people that probably were "successful" at something.  Maybe I can grab a few tips from them.

M) I always have upcoming events in my Final Countdown App.  That App reminds me of how many days we have remaining until events.  Travel, theater, sporting events...Currently, I only have 4...and I am not sure that a couple of them will actually happen-again due to COVID.  But...it gives me something to look forward to, and I think that is important.  I never want to have an empty Final Countdown App. Currently we are looking for a couple replacement things if some of these events can't happen.  

N) I am still working...a few days a week as a guest teacher.  I like working.  We are fortunate not to need the income, but I see staff and students that I really enjoying seeing...and I'M OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!

O) I try to stay current with topics/trends happening.  I am not completely up on the newest music...but I have heard of the artists usually, and probably know their hit songs.

P) Since March I have been learning German.  It's a difficult language, and truly languages aren't really my thing-so it is making my brain work all sorts of overtime.

Q) I go for a chiropractic adjustment monthly to keep everything on the "straight and narrow". 

R) We volunteer for Cortland Repertory Theater, and I am very active on Trip Advisor giving travel advice to others.  I write travel blogs, as well as other blogs.  Currently, I am active on a Facebook Group helping to support and promote local dining in these trying times. I post my food photos. These all  fulfill my sense of purpose.  

So given all that I try to do to stay "not old", it might not make a difference.  Despite all of my efforts,  tomorrow I might not be able to walk up the stairs for one reason or another.  Will I then be really permanently old...or temporarily old?   Or, worse yet...will I even realize that I am old when I get old???

Should we just go ahead and move now...make all those changes...when we might be perfectly comfortable living in this house for another 30 years?  Or...do we stay here dragging our feet until the very last possible moment when we get super close to being old?  I need a timeline!!!!

Here's what Google has to say about it:

Survey respondents ages 18 to 29 believe that the average person becomes old at age 60. Middle-aged respondents put the threshold closer to 70, and respondents ages 65 and above say that the average person does not become old until turning 74.Jun 29, 2009

Of course...that was 11 years ago.  Have things changed since then?  Do people LIVE longer, or just live longer? 

I wish I had answers.  I wish I had a crystal ball.  In the meantime...if a perfect house or condo (actual preference) comes on the market we'll probably jump on it.  After all...it wouldn't present itself unless we were supposed to act on it, right???  I guess I'll also keep doing what I have been doing to keep myself  somewhat "not old"  and see where it gets me and us!!!

*****Edit to add 8/23...In September of 2022 we started planning for an addition to our current home so that we would have bedroom, full ensuite bath, and washer/dryer on the first floor.  It wasn't what we were planning to do, it wasn't a smart financial decision...but it was a very smart emotional decision.  We love our neighbors, and our neighbors love us!  Crown Construction did a great job-and it will be completed by the end of this month.  We still have our travel $$$-and we are very happy with our final decision!!😆

My Grandma when she was 59 years old...with Grandpa

Grandma at 99...still loving a good time!!! (sadly, she passed in 2002)