the pros and cons about getting old topic!

[hernangrau]

So you are not 20 anymore, what's the pros and cons about getting old? (music or non music related)

[Shepherd_of_Anu]

On the con side.. I think its kind of sad the way society makes people feel about getting older. Once passed the age 30 people become some kind of relics from the past or something. Kind of ridiculous though. My grandmother is 93 and thinks of people in their 60's as kids, lol.

One of my friends had a health scare 2 years ago when he was working in China. Foreign workers on a visa must get tested for communicable diseases in order to remain at work in China. He was diagnosed by Chinese doctors as having a serious disease that causes liver failure within 15-20 years. A death sentence more or less unless you get a transplant or treatment. He became extremely concerned about what he had accomplished in life so far and suddenly had a great desire to propagate his bloodline before he was unable to. I felt so bad for him. A few months later he came back to Canada and began researching the disease very intently. The treatments for the disease where worse than the actual disease so he kept putting off going to the doctor about it because he was pretty sure what they would recommend. After stewing over his predicament for almost a year he finally went to see a doctor and after getting all the proper tests it turns out that he never had the disease in the first place! We wonder if the Chinese just test for a particular indicator that is not reliable or if they were trying to bamboozle him in order to get him to take treatments that would have costed him a fortune over there. You have no idea how happy he was when he finally got the good news... and how annoyed I was because had been constantly telling him to get to a Canadian doctor to get a second opinion. I had been worrying all that time!

Wait... I am not sure where I am going with this now...

I guess as you get older you begin to recognize your own mortality and that recognition can lead to interesting revelations about yourself, your understanding of life, the universe and others around you.

I think if you are concerned about getting older chances are the real thing you are concerned about is the way society will categorize/view you and expect you to conduct yourself. I find a lot of older people very inspirational. For example I biked across town to go to a particular gym location I hadn't tried out before and there was this guy who must have been running a near marathon a few treadmills down from me. I just did a 5 km run but this guy was well into his run when I started and he showed no signs of stopping when I finished up. He was running almost as fast as me and he was running with fair sized dumbbells in his bloody hands! I was impressed, this guy looked like he was in his very late 50's or early 60's.

Makes you realize how many good years lay ahead if you live your life with self respect.

[hernangrau]

Amazing story about your friend.
About the topic, i was really wondering about all the great things that getting older brings, but not particullary into any. Just in general, i was wondering if someone is feeling the same about this. I mean, i'm getting better (and older) each year, and it feels gooooood

[::BLM::]

I think its kind of sad the way society makes people feel about getting older

I think it sad the way society makes you feel about most things to be honest.

I'm happy to be getting older. Age has changed me for the better.

[aut.t.n]

Getting older for me means especially more responsibility (for yourself and - at least in my case - a family) and more reality. I realize more and more that all decisions I made - and especially the decisions I made unconscious - actually have increasing impact - there's no "undo" or at least the risks of "undo" and moving in a totally different direction get higher every year. It's also more and more obvious to me that my own reality is sometimes far away from the dreams I had or still have and I see the effort to fulfill my dreams more realistic (and that it's pretty high). I now feel the need more than ever that I need to make decisions carefully - and that I actually have to make decisions if I want to move on.

I talked to a youngster some time ago which remembered me of myself in that age and all I recommended him was: Stop (only) dreaming, start moving into reality and take decisions, take responsibility for yourself. Make things happen and don't rely on them happening to you. You have to see and realize how hard it is to lead a satisfying life nowadays.

Are these pros or cons? Dont know, sounds pretty con, but I see it as a positive development for myself.

[aut.t.n]

Con: The "I have seen all that before (but we had way more fun than you)"-effect on parties.
Pro: Parties can still be fun nevertheless.

[Del]

Every year gets better than the one before. That's my experience anyhow. So I see getting older as progressively positive on all levels. I'm 28 tomorrow incidentally so I guess I'm reaching my peak. How about the older members? Any words of wisdom on the ageing process? Can you recommend any good moisturisers etc??