There are a lot of things about getting older that hit you right between the eyes. Like a hammer. Fifty is the turning point. People can say what they want about forty, but it’s pretty much an awesome decade. In retrospect, anyway.
Why don’t older people, those who have been through it all, tell us this? Why aren’t we prepared for all the things that begin to happen to our bodies once we hit the big 5-0? Who is to blame for keeping this information a secret? Who are they, who are keeping us in the dark?
What they don’t tell us about getting older
Well, maybe they do, but who’s listening when you’re in your twenties? Well, take note now, youngsters, because I’m about to take away your illusions (or maybe confirm your suspicions) about getting older. You’d better write them down, though, because chances are you’ll forget by the time you get there. Which brings us to number one on the list…
You will forget things
Quite possibly the first thing you’ll notice as you get a little older. Where are those keys? Why did I walk into this room? It will expand to “what is your name?” all too soon. I like to tell myself that it is because we have so much important stuff floating around in our head that there is no more room for the small stuff. Now let me move on to the rest of this post before I forget what I wanted to say.
Getting up in the morning is hard.
All of a sudden, instead of hopping out of bed ready to attack the day, slipping on my running shoes to dash out the door, I find I’m…slower. It takes longer to loosen up those muscles and wake up that brain. I have started doing stretches, in bed, before I dare to stand up. That first cup of coffee means even more than it used to.
That is, if you make it to morning
I really don’t think that my bladder has shrunk, but it’s a rare night that I make it all the way through without a pee.
You will suddenly grow hair on your chin
Where do the damn things come from? I check daily. Then one day I will see a chin hair that is about an inch long, like it just sprung through overnight.
Your body hurts
Even beyond those first few steps in the morning, I have pain in places I never thought about before. My back, my hip, my shoulder. I’ve been told that I have the knee of an 80-year-old. My hands hurt too, the first signs of arthritis I’m sure.
Wrinkles
Everyone knows you get wrinkles on your face and neck, but did you know you get wrinkles on your legs too? There have been many times when I’m running and I look down at my legs and I’m shocked that those are my legs. I don’t even wear shorts anymore when I do yoga!
Hot flashes
Even with menopausal symptoms pretty well under control, my body temperature can increase dramatically within seconds, even as I’m sitting in my chair.
Balance
Remember when you were a kid (for someone my age that’s anyone under 35)? You could hop on a fence and tightrope walk without a thought, with no fear of tumbling. I take no such chances anymore, because, even though my balance is pretty good (for my age is the silent thought), and I work on it daily, I realize that my balance has deteriorated.
Floaters
I mentioned my floaters when I had my retina detachment scare a few months ago. In case you’re young and you don’t know what they are, floaters are little bits of residue that appear in your vision. They look like little spots or fish, or even, as in my case, a largish spider. They happen, of course, when you get older.
Thinning eyebrows
Apparently my eyebrows, never thick to begin with, are now sprouting on my chin. Add a little grey along with thin eyebrows and I look like I’ve been playing with matches or joined some celebrity eyebrow cult (I’d post a gif but they’re all too yucky).
Weight Control
I’m a runner. I’m a vegan. I lead an active lifestyle. Yet still I struggle to maintain my weight. Damn menopause.
Your feet grow!
This was one of the cruelest things of all. My feet have grown almost two sizes! It’s gravity, you know. The longer you stand on them, the flatter (and bigger) they get.
How to fight back
Don’t despair. All is not lost. While getting older is no cup of tea, there are a lot of things that make it wonderful. Like grandchildren.
Confidence
Retirement.
There are certain parts of aging that we all have to put up with, no matter how far away it may seem. But, we can prepare. Staying fit, with a reasonable exercise program, will hold off aging for years. Make sure you work on strength, flexibility and balance! Eating a healthful diet, with lean protein, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and avoiding additives, sugars, and trans fats will help too.
And while we can’t always create happiness, we can take pleasure in the small things, enjoy our family, and always, dance like no one is watching.
And in a real life bright side of getting older, this weekend I got to take care of my grandchildren while their parents went on a date. Truly one of the best things in life.
What scares you most about getting older? What are you looking forward to?
I’m taking a break from recipes for a couple weeks. Instead, I hope you’ll enjoy some personal reflections. I’ll be back after the new year with some new, easy plant-based recipes
My weekly linkups! Please stop by and check out all of the great recipes, workouts, and information that all these awesome bloggers share every week!
Sunday Blog Hop with Jenn
Meatless Monday with Tina and Deborah
Meatless Monday with Annmarie
Inspire Me Monday with Janice
Anything Goes with Marilyn
Bonnie, the Pin Junkie
Tip Tuesday with Debbie in Shape
Wild Workout Wednesday with Annmarie, Michelle, Sarah, and Angelena Marie
Wednesday Wisdom with Nanna’s Wisdom
The Blogger’s Pit Stop with Kathleen
Let’s Get Real with Karen.
Friday Fitness with Jill
Oh my god, Debbie. You nailed it. The floaters. I’m literally looking through a kaleidoscope all day long. I probably shouldn’t have a drivers license. LOL
The rogue hairs drive me nuts. I have fine, blonde hair, nearly invisible lashes and brows, but as you said, overnight I can suddenly sprout an enormous cat whisker!
Lol. Until a few months ago, I just had small, random floaters. Then suddenly the big spider. The doctor said it would settle down, but it’s still always there floating in my field of vision. At least it’s not as cloudy as it used to be 🙂
Shortly after my floaters first appeared I saw an eye doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. I had been living in Mexico for 5 years at that point, and naturally assumed that parasites were eating my eyeballs. He assured me that it was normal, but that they wouldn’t go away, I’d just get used to them, and gravity might eventually drop them out of center stage in my field of vision. It’s a drag, but I’m still happy that it’s not eyeball eating worms.
My mom, despite all adversities she has gone through, is extremely positive about aging.
It’s a pity that people still associate getting old with something bad, instead of part of nature. Things change, we change, but there are ways to deal with it without freaking out.
I’ll be adding this post to my “age is just a number” Pinterest board. It’s a community one and if you ever want to join it, Debbie, just let me know it.
Have a fabulous week!
Thanks Debbie, I’d love to join the board. Yes, I tried to keep a tone of humor here, because, yes, some of this stuff is tough, but if you don’t laugh and go along then you really are old.
AHH YES
except wait.
the FEET THING??
I HAD NO IDEA.
🙂
But the feet thing?
That is actually one I can handle 🙂
It would have been easier to handle if my feet hadn’t been quite large to begin with 🙂
Wait? These happen at 50? Oh crap. I’m 37 and have some of these. Hello chin hair! What the hell is that?!? Haha! Oh well. I’ll take all of them considering the alternative!
Truth. There are worse things than chin hair. But still 🙂
I;m already forgetting things….so I think I fear it getting worse!
It’s always a little scary when we start forgetting things. But, it happens to everybody. Scarier to me was when I’d forget words, sometimes common ones. But, after quite a few years it hasn’t gotten worse, so….(fingers crossed!).
ok seriously what’s up with the chin hairs? I swear they just appear and they are big LOL fun times.
I know. Seriously, I scan my face every day. And still! (my husband thinks I’m picking at my skin and I tell him no, I’m just trying to pluck a chin hair)
Oh man, I already have floaters fairly often. I wonder if that’s a cause for concern…
They’re usually no problem. Just a sign of aging eyes (sorry). I’ve had them about 10 years off and on. The scary thing was a couple months ago when all of a sudden I had a huge one, plus a layer of what looked like dust over my vision and flashing lights in my peripheral vision. Apparently even that’s okay, but the huge floater is still there.
I’m 19 years old, and I am already feeling some of these. It’s scary to grow up. It’s starting to hit me that I’ll never be in high school again. I’ll never have my freshman year of college back. Idk, it feels… unsettling. I can only hope I enjoy each passing phase to the best of my ability.
PS: Love your I Love Lucy gif. I grew up watching reruns. Classic favorite of mine.
It is scary to get older, no matter what age. I promise, though, that we really do get better with age, life is better, we even look better. Or at least we will always tell ourselves that 😛
Lucy is so timeless. When I was young, it was already in repeats and I loved watching. My son, who is in his 30s, loved the show. And you do too. Probably your kids will someday love her too :-).
Haha! This past weekend, we had our work Christmas party, and there was a DJ. I danced the night away with all the medical assistants (who are WAY younger than me). I had a blast–I kept thinking to myself how young I felt. Then came the next day and I was moving like an old lady…
Well, that at least shows that the spirit is young, even when f the body is not (as much ch) 🙂
OMG! I love this…I can relate to many of these… Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you enjoyed it. I did have fun writing it too.
What scares me most about aging is that at 35 I have most of these already! (All but the useing the restroom in the middle of the night.) I worry that if I’m like this now what will it be like later in life. :/
I just stick with the fact that I had complete hysterectomy at 30 and was thrown into menopause. LOL
Throw in RA lupus and my body is just falling apart all over so I will be a mess by 50 for sure.
LoL!
Have a blessed winter!
Yeah, I had my hysterectomy at 50 and it still threw my body for a loop, so I can imagine what it would do to a 30 year old.
Such a witty way of sharing valuable but scary information! Great job. I look forward to more 😉 subscribed today.
Thank you, Carlie. I’m glad that you liked it :-). And thanks for subscribing!
Oh my goodness. Love your post. Fun but true. Check out Let’s Get Real Blog Link Up that is every Friday (goes live on Thursday at 5. Would love for you to share your post there. Just check it out tomorrow at http://www.innersavvywellness.com
I did try to keep a light tone :-). Thanks for the invite. I’ll see you there!
I could write a book on this Debbie as you know! HAir all over the face, nose, eyelids, neck & just everywhere! I think I hate this the most. I can tell I am going through another hormone change because I get more hair & it changes.. hard to explain in words but I know myself! Why doesn’t it grow on the eyebrows!!!!
Yes, to the feet & all the rest! I personally think it is harder than many write about it but that is just me… 🙂
I’m sure everybody has different experiences. I just tried to keep a light tone, but I understand. I’m also not sure why your comments keep getting held for moderation. You’re the only one and I’m not sure why. It never happened until recently. Sorry.
Yes I’m glad they don’t highlight some of these otherwise we wouldn’t want to get older LOL:) I’ve just started having my eyebrows tinted and it makes such a difference. Getting older isn’t all fun and games but if we have the right attitude it certainly can be. #PitStop link up.
My goal was some humor. Sometimes you have to laugh at the challenges of getting older. I guess I should write a post about the good parts, because they really do outweigh the little aches and pains.
I can relate to a few of these! The extra bit of weight creeping on and the darn eye floater! I’ve got a lip “crinkle” or two that I wasn’t expecting and refuse to get filler for. I’m waiting for the chin hair – that will be the big one for me. In the meantime, I am appreciating the freedom, the independence and the added confidence that seems to have sprung up recently – getting older has a few blessings (and I can’t wait for those grandbabies!!)
The grandbabies are the best part. All the love and joy of parenthood, without some of the trials and tribulations. Good luck with the chin hair. Maybe you’ll avoid it 🙂
I LOVE this post! You are so funny, but this is so true and very well put. I do find I have more confidence, I couldn’t enjoy taking the grand kids more than I do. The weight could NOT be more difficult to get off…but, the laugh wrinkles are well deserved and earned:)
Thanks Carrie. We have to laugh at it right? So we don’t cry :-). I’m kidding about that, there are a lot more good things than bad about getting older.
I felt a bit annoyed when I first read this post. I can give you a few years and life has never been so good. Since I changed my diet, I feel better than I ever have. Then I look in the wicked mirror, oh, I see what your talking about. We should ban mirrors. Most of our problems are the works of gravity, not just the feet, all wrinkles, bigger noses and ears, they are all the result of gravity. You forgot to mention that you need longer arms to compensate for vision changes.
I thought I had tonsillitis a couple of years ago, the doctor assured me that one of the benefits of getting older is that you no longer have tonsils – they disappear.
Then after many years of horrendous migraines – they have gone too.
So cheer up it is not all bad. Best thing is to celebrate the birthdays with thanksgiving and forget all about the numbers. Look after your health, don’t listen to those who want to put you in an age box. Keep learning, don’t be afraid of change, keep company with positive people who are younger than yourself. It rubs off. LOL
I hope you found the humor in this post. I was trying to be a bit ironic. All in all, I love getting older. I’m happier, healthier (in spite of my whining), and much more confident than I ever was when I was younger. Sadly my migraines did not go away (yet..I’m still hopeful). I’d had many women tell me that it happened for them after menopause, but, alas, it was not the case for me. Attitude is such an important thing. I’ve been working with an older population for years, in senior centers, now country clubs, and that, combined with taking care of one’s health, is the major difference between healthy aging and just getting old.
I did forget about the vision changes! One of the first and most noticeable changes. I have been so lucky in that regard. My close-up vision is still excellent, explaining why I didn’t think of it. Probably because I’m so nearsighted that my vision is just balancing out now :-).
Oh bless those “out of nowhere” chin hairs, I’ve had them for a few years now. The worst is when you find one when you are out and can do nothing about it!
And for me the worst thing about remembering something you forget is that horrible nagging feeling that there must be a whole load more things you have forgotten too!
Ah, fun things to look forward to! I’m in my 30s and I already notice things about getting older, like knees creaking. I wonder how bad it will be for me in another decade or so! Thanks for the heads up, 😉 Stopping by from SITS.
I guess we are all interested in this subject because this post was among the most clicked in the Blogger’s Pit Stop#3. Well done – it will be featured on Friday.
Kathleen
I’m having to change my exercise a bit because I am a bit slower than I used to be. You did forget that many folks are getting cataracts and/or shingles at younger ages than they used to. My niece got shingles at 23 while someone in the family had cataracts that required surgery by 55 or so. The bad thing about aging is that we still feel as if we are 18 inside.
Yikes cataracts! That’s a scary thought too. I had a roommate when I was much younger. He was in his 20s, and he got shingles. I’ve always been scared of them since I saw how he suffered.
And you’re so right. I don’t feel any different inside than I did 40 years ago. Yeah, a little more confident and smarter ( 🙂 ), but I sometimes find it hard to believe I’m almost 60.
I’m 43. I’ve had those floaters for years, but I thought it was related to my low blood pressure. (Yes, seriously, everyone’s worried about high blood pressure and mine regularly drops through the basement and I fall down. No, low blood pressure won’t kill you, but the fall might!)
I don’t think there’s anything about getting older that scares me, not really. My grandfather always said we shouldn’t complain about getting old because it was far better than the alternative.
My children range from 19 years to 18 months, so I’m still going to be “too busy to get old” for at least another 18 or so year. So when I’m in my mid-sixties, I’ll take a pause and see if I’m ready to get old yet. I suspect I’ll still be too busy, though.
However, that old lady who keeps getting in my mirror – I wish SHE would get the message.
My floaters started in my 40s. My blood pressure is normal, but I had a boss who had floaters so I wasn’t worried until it got really big and cloudy. Even that is normal though, apparently, when you get older.
I love that you don’t have time to get older. I’m kind of the same way, but these are just things we have to deal with.
Welcome to Blogger’s Pit Stop! We’re glad to have you working with us 🙂
“Your Feet Will Get Bigger”
I was ready for most of it and took it in stride. But the feet thing has been a surprise and has thrown me into a full blown pity party. I talked to my friend who is a nurse doctor (He has his doctorate in nursing) because I thought something was terribly wrong, and I was embarrassed to ask my doctor about it. I told him that my feet had gotten bigger, but I hadn’t gained any weight. He said, “Oh, that can happen when you get older. It’s no big thing.” I cried and cried.
Love the post!