h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have always been a "late starter". So, my aging process has been somehow delayed...

I for reason of my adopted child's age, (eleven), relate and have more in common with thirty-something to forty year old people. (mostly parents of children of my son's age..).

Recently, I had some health complaints and was referred to an specialist.
As the bill was presented to me I read it with a mixture or horror and amusement. I had been referred to a Gerontological Specialist!

Everything around me started to take a different perspective. I felt somehow "liberated", for the first time in years I decided not to color my hair anymore. I feel proud of my gray hair and of the way I look. I have suddenly realized, how much wiser I have really become. I had not noticed before, but my younger acquaintances often seek me when they have a problem and need to talk.
My life is a funny mismatch, I quite enjoy it. I keep jumping from one age group to the other and Im getting the best of both!

Age is in the body and in the mind. But how we "profit" from it is very much our choice!!

You can easily approximate my age now!

A very positive post GA! Thank you very much for sharing. And a warm welcome to h2g2!

Hi my friend,

I was never very good at Maths - but having tried to work out your age, I reckon that I am twice your age.

I simply do not cotton onto the Gerontological refernce.

I believe that we must be much more exclusive.

Gerontological for me definitely means one must be an octogenarian.

Anything less means that the person oncerened is a SC -(Spring chicken)

Gerontologists I admire.

George Bernard Shaw, was still frisky in his nineties
Bertrand Russell, ditto

Sophia Loren still manages to remain beautiful

sorry cannot think of any others for the moment,

Gerontological Club member

Christiane aka Also Ran 80 now 81 and a half. and still going although a few spark plugs could do with changing.
OOh! Are there no longer spark plugs available.

What are we to do?

Sunday 7th November 2009 10.30

I would love to forward your comments to my GP, but he says he is too old to get on the net!

So, here we are again, it is all in the mind. Although, I definitely find it unsettling when I see people "running a race" against aging some of them exerting themselves to death with anguished looks on their faces going through the motions on a gym treadmill.
Or many other pursuits, (from surgical makeovers to making younger people miserable), that deprive some people of enjoying the time we have to gather all that is good and ripe from our stay in this planet.
It seems pathetic when we can't accept that everything in the universe follows the same pattern and there is nothing we can do .
Except perhaps,try to let all that is good and simple in our existence take over and glow through us...? Unless, we have the perception there has not been anything good in our brief passage, then, ..well ... it is getting a bit complicated. I rather leave it here.

The point is that some people are old at twenty!!

I am fortunate in that I went to University in 1972 when I was 42.That was a joy because I could choose to do any subjects I was interested in and could drop any I did not like.

I had quite a confrontation - which I have written about - with the Psychology lecturer who was very much into behaviourism. This was the vogue at the time, and he made some statements which I queried. Well I wished I had never opened my mouth, but, after the lecture went straight up to the main office and informed that startled staff that for 42 years I had believed I had a brain. If I attended another Psychology lecture with this lecturer I would be convinced tht I did not have one. !!

And so Logic and Metaphysics, two wonderful subjects which have really transformed my life , entered into my sphere of knowledge. !!
Nice to hear from you. I hope that we can have lots of discussions.

Regards

Christiane
AR80

Monday 9th November 2009 8.30 GMT

Thank you!

Hi again. I would love to read what you wrote about your confrontation.
I believe people should be aware that we are not like plants that are born, reproduce and then die.
Ours is a more complicated process, like that of the making of a good wine. At some stages you can decide how mature or how complex you want it to be. At the end it all depends on the kind of grapes and the perceptions you and others have.
Perceptions is what needs to be changed to reclaim the nobility and respect that not only Old age deserves but even childhood this days is treated without the respect or dignity that should be due.
Not a very good omen for a healthy happy and prosperous society...
OLD is a dirty word we need to start a "Grey revolution!" thee hee