Old Age...Ramblings

[raden888]

Hi everyone,

As the sun sets ,we have added more hours to our life. Just wondering what makes us 'old'. Is it due to our birth date? What makes people like LKY and Robert Kuok still active despite being well into their 80's? Ofcourse there is the gene factor but there must be something more that keeps them going as though they are only 18!They have their marbles intact and are still articulate. (Abusing alcohol and drugs doesn't help)

I remember when I was 17 & 18, I used to think that people who are 30 are 'old'.Since, I am now in that age bracket I see age as just a number. I have friends who are in the 40's, 50's and 60's which is strange to some as they mix with those only in their age group.

There are some seasoned:) guys and gals on this forum so what are you thoughts? Do you mingle with those of certain experiences or age?Would you like to live till 100?

[sundaymorningstaple]

raden,

I am having a hard time envisioning a guy in his 30's even 'thinking' about age. (like your ageist comment in the other thread).

I'm probably the "Methuselah" here followed by ksl, Strong Eagle and maybe a couple of others.

My take. You are only as old as you let yourself feel. About a dozen years ago I came up with a formula about our perceived age (as seen by others and how you personally feel). It was an interesting concept and to this day, I've never found it in print anywhere else so who knows, I might have stumbled onto something.

Preamble. Most people guess my age in my late forties or very early fifties. (This is both Asians and Westerners). I got to thinking about this as it's usually hard to fool both. As a point of reference, although I think all already know, my actual age is 62. (not 400 as some allude!)

People ask me my age. I tell them my average age is 49. This usually settles the question without any additional questions/doubts. For about 30 seconds. Then "what do you mean your average age!?!"

I have come to the conclusion that each individual is a composite of 3 individual and unique ages. The combination of these three ages averaged out will give you the age that you generally feel and other generally perceive you to be. The only codicil to this is one has to be brutally honest with themselves in order for it to work.

Of course this formula is based on things one can control and does not take into consideration accidents and other inherited disorders.

1. Your Mental Age. You are only as old as you think you are. The day you stop testing yourself, constantly learning new things (LKY is a good example of this) and stretching yourself mentally is the day your mind starts to stagnate and degenerate. One of the best new ways to help the elders who have already started stagnating is Soduku. This has been clinically proven to help stimulate the brain of those people in old folks homes. Mentally, my acuity is probably on par with a 35 year old.

2. Your Physical Age. Barring accidents, we can delay the effects of aging physically by exercise and activity. These damned computers are the worst thing for causing physical decline. (And TV's as well - couch potatoes abound). I still ride my mountain bike regularly as well as walking and swimming and diving. I cannot run due to damage to my knees and feet due to hereditary gout. But low impact sports keep me going. I used to be a smoker. I gave that up just over 5 years ago. As most here know, I also did something about my weight issue over the past 2 years. I upped the physical aspect and increased my lifespan by maybe 20 years? Physically, I reckon I'm as fit as the 'average' 50 year old.

3. Your Chronological Age. Unfortunately, there's not a damn thing you can do about that one. You were born on a certain minute on a certain day in history and the clock keeps ticking. Unfortunately I'm 62.

But, if you maintain the first two, you can slow down the effects of the third one considerably. For me this equates to 35 + 50 + 62 = 147 (no comments ksl!) / 3 = 49 years old. Which is smack in the middle of the range where most guess my age to be anyway.

Works for me.

To answer you last question. I have a living will and an AMD. I will not have any life support for any reason. I also only want to live as long as I can take care of myself and not have to depend on others (family) for support. I did not have my children to become my crutch in my old age and don't intend to do so. So. If I can be independent till I'm 100, great. The day I find I cannot, it's finished. That could be next week or tomorrow. But I've done the necessary and have done any and everything I've ever wanted to do (at least as of this moment). Tonight I might decide I want to go mountain climbing but at the moment it's not on my want list.

[nakatago]

...and SMS is right on cue

Anyway, I'm nearing the big three-o myself. I still look forward to learning and actually strive for it. I try to do different things if they interest me and learn them if they're not so much of a bother. Moved to a [slightly] different field after working in one for six years, exploring new technologies that pop-up every day, trying to learn new skills, doing activities I haven't tried before...that sort of thing. Raden, we're babies compared to 400 yr-old SMS so don't feel old.

The only things that make me feel old are finding job postings that require age and my mother asking for biological grandchildren because she knows a lot of kids my age already started families.

[sundaymorningstaple]

What did you expect!

[ScoobyDoes]

I'll be 39 in the coming months and my only way of thinking about it..... "Holly Crap, all going well I'll have the same sh!t to do all over again. It's only half time in the game of life."

Looking at how long the last 39-yrs have been I'm still comfortable enough that there is more than enough left.

Of course as we count through the 60's, 70's and 80's this will change everyday but for now and in reference to the original point of the thread, age is not the governer about who our friends are.... whether they are idiots or not, is!

My parents are clocking on for 70 and are flying next week the ~14hrs from the UK to spend the next couple of months in Singapre playing with their young grandson......all of which will tire me out and make me feel old yet, keep me active enough to hopefully extend my life a few days at the othe end.

[sundaymorningstaple]

For me the first 40 were long but the past 25 went by in the blink of an eye. My daughter was born last year and will be 26 next month!

[ksl]

For me the first 40 were long but the past 25 went by in the blink of an eye. My daughter was born last year and will be 26 next month!

35 + 50 + 62 = 147 (no comments ksl!) / 3 = 49

Ah! I would have said your more like a 35 year old, the way you sink those beers Thank god it's not a nightly event!

My old ticker as had me in the emergency 3 times last year, 15kg's over my norm, though i did make an effort today in the pool 6 laps of 50 mtr with a break of 30 seconds, each lap. I just cannot swim slow, cannot cycle slow, and cannot shag slow, everything is to an extreme(I hate that word shag, reminds me of my teenage days) no wonder my ticker is stressed out

I'm good for another 20 years providing i get serviced often and probably a bypass at some stage, I just wish there was a DIY kit handy, the pump is fine, anyway I'm on my way back running slowly, not to exceed 125 heart beats for too long, so if I'm going to heaven, it's with a smile on my face at 160 beats a minute The last 20 years have been extremly fast, far too fast, that I'm having difficulty to accept my age.

[utopia]

OP > Just wondering what makes us 'old'
General opinion has it having an active body, active minds staves off 'old' age as we have come to have it represented by images of the hunched-back, wheelchair-bound, dementia impacted aged.
LKY is old, but he's physically active and, more often then not, lucid.
Then again there are people I know in past their 20s that act incredibly childishly, and there are 7 year olds I know who are serious , and very perceptive (and challenges me competently in chess).

The way I see it old = Age. So that ticks along regardless.

OP > Do you mingle with those of certain experiences or age?
Certainly, shared experiences makes for an easier 'platform' to have discussions. The majority of my circle of friends are invariably within +/- 10 years of my own age.


OP > Would you like to live till 100?
This question is really why I'm answering this post.
The short answer is, yes, but only on my terms.
Meaning, yes, I have the same amount of freedom, mobility, wealth and ability to do the things I like, eat, and drink and socialise, and 'shag'.
But that is a simplisitic reply.


The real question is that this is actually quite an interesting proposition ; what if everyone could live to 100 years ?

It's a whole social/economical/infrastructural question actually : such as - can the country infrastructure handle this? Will there be more old aged homes / hospices ? Will all the MRT stations / busses/ LRTs / Taxis/ footpaths be wheelchair friendly? Will the major celebrations like National Day, New Year have more allocation for senior citizens? Will working to 55/60/65 accrue enough monies to pay for the medical and living expenses, CNY ang-pows, Christmas presents to year 100 ? Will filial piety still remain strong for the 'younger' generation now that they know they will be 75+ or so before they can collect on the Will ?

Already advances over the last 40 years have seen life expectancy increase by probably something like 20 years. In the same time frame, we seem to see more people diluting the sanctity of human life and the life cycles. Despite all the condoms, I believe, abortion rates have gone up worldwide, and the increasing acceptance of 'alternative' life style choices.
Is it Good / Bad overall for the human race? I think it's probably debatable.


Lastly, not that I have an issue with it, but is this topic considered to have correctly posted under 'Strictly Speaking' ?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yes, it's in precisely the right forum. Is it not a serious topic that affects each and every one of us to some degree or another? All this forum means is that it is a moderated forum so normal hijacking of the thread won't happen here as those posts will be removed and usually shunted off to the rubbish forum.

[vbelle]

i think "whats inside your head" is what makes you old..or young..or childish..age is just skin deep...

I personally feel like I am 2-3 years older than my age..and do feel old sometimes..lol

Agree with SMS..Dont think i wanna live till 100 if I am not independent..

[ksl]

There are a few interesting theories, that lean people live the longest, to much food reduces your life.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8500761.stm

Though if one looks back on the 50's 60's and 70's I would say the music from the 60's keeps us younger today, where groups from the 80's & 90's appear to fade more quickly, or It's me that ignores them Good music keeps us young!

But reality is, life is very very short, and aging speeds up very quickly, with the metabolism reducing at 1% per year, one needs to reduce calorie intake, to reduce the stretching of the skin. Living long and in good health is like winning the lotto!

[raden888]

I am having a hard time envisioning a guy in his 30's even 'thinking' about age



Well, I think of age only when I am interacting with Gen Y and Gen Z..They make feel like a fish out of water!


Good music keeps us young! ....Yes, I somewhat agree ,if you listen to sad country music especially if the lyrics are about down and out drunk cowboys ,you would probably receive the same fate.

Attitude is the key here , we are the ones who end up boxing ourselves into categories past a certain age. I know of someone who completed a MBA at 60 ,now at 70 is still working and being a productive member of society.

The real question is that this is actually quite an interesting proposition ; what if everyone could live to 100 years ?


This is a serious problem which many developed nations are facing as their population includes a significant number of the aged. In nations, which provide universal health-care it is less of a concern although it means more money spent on health services.

Personally, I do not wish to live that long.What is the point of outliving people you know.You will end up losing people in your same age group unless of course everyone else lives as long as you do.

I really do not like the general attitude towards old people, they are generally forgotten , people are annoyed with them especially if they walk too slow,drive too slow etc but these people have contributed to the nation's building process. Many have even fought in wars that have kept us safe. --- this is a bit out of topic!

[sundaymorningstaple]

The real question is that this is actually quite an interesting proposition ; what if everyone could live to 100 years ?

Personally, I do not wish to live that long.What is the point of outliving people you know.You will end up losing people in your same age group unless of course everyone else lives as long as you do.

An interesting point. However, stop for a moment and think about this. Where are we at the moment. Besides at work or whatever. We are on the internet talking and interacting with a bunch of bits of protoplasm or ectoplasm (not sure which) with whom we have no personal knowledge at all. (in most cases)

We are assuming that I'm 62 (because I said so) when I could be a dyslexic 26 who likes to turn things around. Who knows, I might even be local and female as well (dog forbid! - as that would make me be having lesbian thoughts! ) The point I am trying to make is that we interact fine with the younger and older generation (until we physically meet and then our inherent preferences take hold based on using another of our senses - sight. I know many on here who are youngsters (by my point of reference) but are people who have my respect with the way they conduct themselves on this board. Are they like that in real life? Probably. But you can bet, if we met them in real life without knowing who they were, we'd put them into a box in our cranium and never let 'em out. Be it good or bad. We put up our own barbed wire OB markers.

So, if I live to be 100 and can still hit the keys, then I can still interact and by then all our friends may well be in cyberspace. Which means they wont all die, but just be replaced with new ones.

[raden888]

So, if I live to be 100 and can still hit the keys, then I can still interact and by then all our friends may well be in cyberspace. Which means they wont all die, but just be replaced with new ones.

Hmm, now to think of it , the internet has given a new platform to establish direct communication so if you have outlived your peers you have the internet for solace. You can pretend to be a 26yo blonde athelete


It is like that Johnny Bravo episode (cartoon) where Johnny goes out on a date with an internet 'girlfriend' only to find out 'she' is a talking horse. [/quote]

[Mad Scientist]

Hi everyone,

As the sun sets ,we have added more hours to our life. Just wondering what makes us 'old'. Is it due to our birth date? What makes people like LKY and Robert Kuok still active despite being well into their 80's? Ofcourse there is the gene factor but there must be something more that keeps them going as though they are only 18!They have their marbles intact and are still articulate. (Abusing alcohol and drugs doesn't help)

I remember when I was 17 & 18, I used to think that people who are 30 are 'old'.Since, I am now in that age bracket I see age as just a number. I have friends who are in the 40's, 50's and 60's which is strange to some as they mix with those only in their age group.

There are some seasoned:) guys and gals on this forum so what are you thoughts? Do you mingle with those of certain experiences or age?Would you like to live till 100?

I am already above the half way mark. When I touch 40 , people says live begins at 40. I did not feel that bcoz too busy with life
Age does not matter to me. Maturity do come with age but there are some young guys that are very mature in their thinking.
As long as this old ticker ticks, the lungs is breathing air. LIFE IS GOOD !!
Live and let live , I say.'\\:D/'
As long as one respect each other and their opinions , you will not feel the age gap . I just mingle with all age band and understand how they feel and let them have their views.
Whether you live to 100 or not depends on your ticker. If it ticks, it ticks if NOT drop dead and die and there is NOT ONE THING YOU CAN DO.
'[-o<'
MS ':D'