Sheila, Age 69 11/12
70….it sounds OLD, but mentally I feel about 40. Some concerns at this age:
1) loss of confidence in physical agility with noticeable balance insecurity particularly after a few minor falls”
2) “crepey” skin particularly on my arms and inner thighs. It suddenly just appeared, much to my horror
3) the “neck” as Nora Ephron would say
4) dressing appropriately : is it matronly or even worse, old lady trying to look hip? Several of my girlfriends are a decade younger and some look fabulous but others are starting to cross over into the “looks inappropriate” category
5) the loss of physical intimacy
6) the knees, the hips, the teeth are all showing signs of wear
7) too many friends are dying
8) too many conversations are about ailments
On the other hand, having retired four years ago, after a long and rewarding career,
1) I love my free time and independence
2) spending time with grandchildren is an unimaginable gift
3) my girlfriends are a solid source of fun and support…we make sure to get together for an overnight, or dinner monthly, and plan a week away every year
4) I continue to learn to not ask my son about who/if he is dating; and remind myself that my married daughter is entitled to do things her way
Nothing stays the same from year to year but somehow turning 70 is really sharpening the awareness of major change in the last couple of laps. How long should we keep the house? Who can I travel with and where do I want to go? Should we worry more about money?
Guess we’ll just have to wait and see…
Sheila, give yourself a gift when you turn 70 – dress to please yourself – perhaps for the first time in your life.
Let’s face, at 70 we’re not going to look as good as we did even at the dreaded 40.
I wear what makes me happy and won’t embarrass.
When are you going to be free if not now?
Good advice Diana. I live in the Keys and I still wear shorts everyday (not long ones and my legs still look good-thanks for the genetics mom) and t-shirts. I often wear my hair in a pony tail. As long as I’m comfortable why should I care what people think? I dress appropriately for my culture. I’m certainly not going to start wearing long pants and fussy blouses. Nor will my dresses come out of the closet unless it’s a comfortable sun dress. We should not worry about what others may think. I don’t worry about that anymore. Oh sometimes I even wear crazy dangling earrings.