We're All Getting Older

[Stuugie]

Hi All,

I know this may be silly but meh! We're all getting older here, even you young ones! In saying that, I've never had the notion that I am old. After all, I play video games among other things and (you could ask my wife) I'm probably still considered immature (I'm going to keep it that way too).

However, in the last 6 months my eyesight has been on the decline. A couple days ago I got some reading glasses so that I can see words close to my face. Over the last 6 months I've been noticing (but yet still in denial) that I've been straining to read words close up. It was to the point that I started carrying around a small magnifying glass in my front pant pocket. My wife, who is oozing common sense, went and got me 2 pairs of reading glasses that I now wear (and sometimes both at once). I'm glad I got the glasses but it has made me reflect on the fact that I am now officially getting old. An economist that I work for told me 3 years ago that the eyes will go first and that he used to be 20/20 but now he needs prescribed glasses (he's 65).

Anyhow, I'm just some middle-aged guy that's starting to notice the affects of aging. I guess my question is, what happened to you that made you realize you are not a youngbuck no more? As stated, my eyes have been that turning point for me, how about you?

[pixelsoul]

As soon as you start thinking "I'm getting old", you will start getting old. I wear glasses but I started when I was about 20 years old. Astigmatism can happen to the best of us regardless of our age. Also, we put more strain on our eyes than ever before, reading small type on little screens, and working with intricate parts of gadgets in our world today. I would not start feeling bad about needing some glasses. Luckily, most normal issues with eyes like Astigmatism can be corrected with lasik eye sugery.

[chrishea]

I have worn glasses since I was 10 or 12 years old so for me that's normal. What I resisted for a long time was getting hearing aids. Loud music and genetics seriously reduced my mid and high frequency hearing. Getting hearing aids seemed like something that old people do so I didn't deal with it. About 1 1/2 years ago, I decided that it was something that I had to do. What I found out was the hearing aids helped to stabilize the hearing that I do have, gave me back an almost normal ability to hear people speak, watch TV etc and they are barely noticeable. Despite my advancing years, I'm now back in a band. I couldn't have done that without the hearing aids because the music was just getting too muddy. To stay young, I've also joined the fitness center and use it regularly. Thinking young and staying active is much better than the alternative.

[Reverend Jim]

Like chrishea I wore glasses from around 10 years old. My vision was around 20-200+ (I don't know what that is in diopters) but I couldn't read a book held at arm's length. In early 2000 I has lasik on both eyes. That brought me back to around 20-25 which absolutely thrilled me. Around 2007 I had to get reading glasses to work at the computer for extended periods and now (at 59) I need reading glasses to read even for a short time. My vision for distance is now around 20-20. If I had to choose between needing glasses to read or for everything else I'd pick the former.

I've never really felt my physical age except for three times in the last three years corresponding with three bouts of prostatitis. Of all the things I thought I'd miss upon getting older, being able to pee normally was not one of them. Over the last five years my hearing has also gotten worse. The last time I had it tested was earlier this month and was told my hearing loss is more typical of someone ten years older. I'll be investing in hearing aids in September.

I've been seeing the obituaries of former coworkers and acquaintences with increasing frequency. One was at the centre of a recent national (Canadian) debate on assisted suicide. In spite of all this, I still don't consider myself, mentally at least, as "old".

And as they say, getting older is far better than the alternative.

[Ancient Dragon]

I started wearing glasses when I was in 9th grade -- nearsighted. I started computer programming in my 40s and got a lot of eye strain from staring at those green monitors -- it was really painful. Monitors are a lot better today with almost no eye strain at all.

You're only as old as you feel, and I feel as if I am in my 40s most of the time. Yes, I still like to play video games.

[GrimJack]

I am 35 years old and weigh 160 pounds with women vying for my attention.

Then I look in the mirror and I am 64 years old, 70 pounds overweight, and scare women and children.

Then I am 35 years old and weigh 160 pounds with women vying for my attention.

[Reverend Jim]

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[NardCake]

I'm just a kid that wears glasses.

[ddanbe]

Someone once said(don't know who) : "As soon as you are born you are busy dying."
So I don't worry getting older, it is an inescapable fate that awaits us all.
And there is some other positive news! It has to stop sooner or later...
I wear glasses, probably because of staring too much at a computerscreen.
And if you are feeling down a bit about getting older, after listening to this song featuring George Harrison you will feel 10 years younger!

[TonyG_cyprus]

My old dad, god rest him, always said, "There are two things in life you can do nothing about, getting old and dying, so don't worry about either" and I don't need glasses, it's just that my arms are getting shorter! (I'm a twenty something 59 year old.) @ R.J, love the cartoon, I do it all the time!

[Stuugie]

I don't stress getting old, I'm just noticing it I guess. Some days I feel like a youngen and other days, when my back is twanging me, I feel 20 years older. I'm looking forward to my birthday this year as I cross over to a new decade of life. I celebrate my birthday every 10 years. The other years in between are lightly celebrated because of my kids.

[Reverend Jim]

I plan to live forever. So far, so good. - Stephen Wright

I'm not afraid of dying. I just don't want to be there when it happens. - Woody Allen

[Stuugie]

I've heard that the Polar Bear Swim is quite invigorating but I've never tried it.

[Reverend Jim]

I don't recommend it unless you want to sing tenor.

[mike_2000_17]

"You become more and more mature as you age, up to when you're about 20, after that, you just get older." -- Judd Apatow

[Reverend Jim]

When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. - Mark Twain

[vegaseat]

I have really not aged in the last 20 years. Maybe I have always been old?

[vegaseat]

Gray hair is God's graffiti.

[bumsfeld]

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
(MT)

[BigPaw]

Age is just an anagram of Eag. While everything else still makes better sense than that then you ain't too old yet.