Jan, Age 71
I am 71. I work full time at a challenging job. I exercise a lot. I have a loving family and friends of all ages. My life is good….but I feel isolated.
I don’t have a peer group. I see very few women my age who are still working full time. I live in the suburbs of a small Massachusetts city, and I don’t see any working women my age. I am one of the oldest people in my company. I worry they are going to decide I’m simply too old and try to put me out to pasture. Who would hire someone my age?
I would love to have a working buddy my age to share the challenges and silly things that go along with this age. I consider myself fairly tech savvy, but that didn’t stop me from trying to plug my computer in the Wii instead of the modem. Share that story with younger people and they think you are ready to be put out to pasture.
Or, how can I explain to a 40 year old that my brain just froze in the middle of trying to pronounce a difficult word and that it needs to be rebooted? They surely will think that’s a sign of dementia instead of a normal part of a multi-tasking life.
Stumbling over this group and finding your book has been a blessing. Thank you all for being there and for sharing your journeys.
Jan
I am 67 and 10 months ago I moved from a very intense, demanding more than full time job (often 60 hour weeks) to a job within the same organization for 20 hours a week. Many of my age peers have been replaced in the last few years by 20, 30 and 40 years-olds. That is definitely a difference in values, work ethics, civility as well as energy and tech savvy.
My dad died a year ago and my mom two years ago. I was their primary caretaker. Let’s face it a lot of things conspire to make us weary at this age and we have little left over for ourselves. It is essential to our well being that we take care of ourselves and to find time the time we need. What I’ve learned is that women are great supporters of each other at this age, regardless of their employment status. I encourage you to join other women in causes of interest to you. Make time for it. Join a book group or an organization like PEO or volunteer for causes you care about. This will open up doors for you, including employment opportunities. The friendship of women is one of my greatest treasures but you have to make a commitment to it. Learn how to be a friend – that was something I didn’t know. I hope you find this helpful. By the way, I plan to work for the rest of my life, so I want to enjoy it.
Hi Jan,
I’m Mary, 72, live in Boston (Beacon Hill) and a Santa Monica transplant for almost 10 years. Retired PR/marketing/advertising and own T.V. show (so a tad “creative”) but now, hopefully becoming more Zen as the days go by: incredibly positive, independent, physical (exercise/health “nut”) and interested in writing, museums, meditation, Yoga – without being “one of the girls”… or one of anything based on insecurity, but strength, for we are all ONE. We just have to find our own “matches.”
Hooray for you and staying “in the game!” Life is good. No, GREAT!
It all depends on our OWN outlook: Half full or half empty.
Best,
Mary
Jan,
I am 73 and I would love to be your buddy. I am currently retired but I have been there and know the challenges you face. Heck you sometimes just need a sounding board. I am regina hayes, and email address is [email protected]
Hi – I am going to be 71 in February and that seems much older than 70…silly but it does.
I too work full-time and it is difficult to keep up with the energetic and tech savvy coworkers. But I almost do.
I wish I knew 20 years ago how much technology meant, but I could get through my job and that was good enough.
Most women at 71 are not working; most are flooded with grandchildren and children which I have, but due to their location and a bad back it is hard to see them
I find myself so tired sometimes that even though I want friends I don’t know if I’d be able to see them. There are so many clubs and meet ups and places I would love to go after work, but if it’s after 6 o’clock I’m not up to it. I get up at 5:30 am and we drive 15 minutes with our dogs to the dog park…back around 6:45 AM we are home. We love them like children.
Yes I have books to read, work to do, puzzles I want to complete, gardening I keep up with.
It seems a lot at 70…it seemed like nothing at 50. I guess if I truly wanted a peer group I really would work at it to find it, but with myself I’m just too tired
The world is a different place, it just keeps spinning and not with the greatest of things to give you energy or to want to be involved. So I close this note by saying keep going after what you want, that’s the only way you can get it.
Thank you for writing,
Patricia