Does "life Begin at 60"

[meercat]

As the saying goes "life begins at 60"

Since turning 64 recently iv been wondering.. am i different since i hit 60...

Has your life changed since then?

Someone said the other day.."try to get to know yourself.. find out what you want to get out of life?"

Statistically iv got 29 years to find myself.. my dad's 93..

When we hit 60 where do we go..what do we do?

meercat xx

[Moonstruck]

Hi PamelaR..... thanks for your words. I could relate to what you said...in a way..I retired just around Christmas and been a lost soul ever since. Even though it was my own choice, made freely and after months and months of consideration...was counting the days till "freedom". then why have I been SO depressed since then? I wrote to Dr Kim who said it was to be expected...in reading others experiences I can see there is a major transition, even when you didn't even like the job or your boss!!

anyway....there is a particular interest I was eager to get involved in once I had all this spare time....and they are keen to have me, teach me the ropes etc. I am wondering if I've jumped in too fast, not given myself enough "time" to adjust to this new life....OR....whether it's best to take the leap immediately and "re-invent myself" by going down different avenues and hobbies.......because I am getting scared now.

My anxiety and stress has overtaken me in the past and I am terrified that if I try to learn something new....I'll make a hash of it and have a panic attack, embarrassing myself and letting the others down! I am afraid I am about to bite off more than I can chew.....I come across as confident and efficient, but am scared of new things and change.....it involves being instructed in new technology which I am hopeless at anyway.

Should I just shelve the idea and pull out now, before I even begin to learn?? I can't think straight......Moon S

[PamelaR]

Hi Moonstruck

Wow, you only retired at Christmas and you feeling lost already.... I do get the sense from what you've written that anxiety and stress could overtake you if you rush into something new. However, you may also find that anxiety and stress can emerge from being retired.

That's were I am currently. For the first few months, I was busy as. Then having a fall and then another one, left me time to lay on the bed to think. Not good. So I'm digging myself out of that hole I've landed in. Being on BB is helping, but at the same time setting of my triggers. LOL. Disclosing is a trigger.

But I'm always up for a challenge - if you have the opportunity to start something new - why not give it a go. Be prepared if you think you'll be triggered. However, perhaps, I'm not the best person to ask - I'm a risk taker. If you like order and little change then maybe it's not the best.

Not sure if I've helped you any. I'm learning something new all the time (lightroom and photoshop) - it does stress me a little,but nothing I can't handle. Once I've mastered it (to my satisfaction) i'll be okay.

[quirkywords]

Moon,

I just want to hug you and tell you everything will be ok.

I suppose I would say give it a ago this interest of yours. I suppose only you know what you can cope with and you won't know until your try.

I also don't handle change very well.

maybe having the routine of a new interest may help fill the loss of your job who knows.

Quirky

[Moonstruck]

Hey Quirky.....suddenly today I got a whole new perspective on this "loss of a job" retirement transition thing. I think I am going to be OK after all......the latest project at my place of work displayed yet again, stuff-ups by my boss...omissions, errors on his behalf....and I thought..."thank God I don't have to oversee and fix up this kind of thing...ANY MORE!!" It confirmed the reason I had had enough!!

I will take any new ventures when I am ready - I have decided......if the time doesn't feel right, I will give myself more time.....time to put ME FIRST.....a very strange situation for me.....

[quirkywords]

Moon,

That is great news. I like your confidence.

To answer Does life begin at 60- I hope so as I am now 60 and proud to be that. No more apologies.The future here I come.

Quirky

[Elizabeth CP]

I gave up work to care for my husband a couple of years ago. Juggling the pressures of work & coping with my husband's frequent hospital admissions & illnesses became too much. Like Moon I found it difficult as I enjoyed the satisfaction from work (I felt I was really helping people) so I missed that. I also missed the routine which seems silly as trying to fit everything in to the time frame was so stressful.

I have tried to take the opportunity to travel & explore when I can as my husband's condition will get worse making things more difficult. There are a few things I keep meaning to do but get sidetracked which makes it harder to get motivated to start. Based on my experience if there is something you want to do go for it even if it pushes you out of your comfort zone. It only gets harder if you keep delaying. I've decided that it is better to do what I can now because none of us know what is round the corner. It is better to try even if it doesn't work out the way you want than to live with regrets. Of course that doesn't mean do everything right this second. Some things are better planned for a more suitable time - when the weather is better, or you are not so tired or whatever.

Life begins at 60 is a good motto. The rest of your life is over. You can't change it so worrying about it won't help & nothing is going to make you 30 again. On the other hand now is the start of your new life. We need to use our past experiences to make it as good as we can. Do whatever you think will make you happy long term so we can look back and be glad of our choices & not regret avoiding something. If something goes wrong that's OK it was a learning experience.

[quirkywords]

Hello all,

Elizabeth,

Thanks for sharing your experiences and what you have learnt.

I agree ot to put things off and to push yourself if you can.

Thanks for your honesty.

Quirky

[Moonstruck]

Well it's been 10 months since anyone posted on here. does that speak for itself? That we are all now invisible? Or have most of us already passed onto the next phase...whether that maybe...an over 60 facility, the big retirement village in the sky, or just too old and tired to care, or pretending to be still young and gorgeous...(like I was for quite a while until I saw photographic proof that I am old and ugly).

where has everyone gone? All found the fountain of youth or something? Or taken up lawns bowls? (Heaven Forbid..what a horrible thought!)

what has caused my gloomy outlook I don't know. Perhaps because some friends, acquaintances, relatives not all that much older than me are beginning to become ill, get various aches and pains, minor strokes, dying.....has woken me up to the fact that I too am fast joining their ranks!

I would like to get back to the frame of mind I was in....thinking I was fit, young and sexy, vibrant and interesting....even though I know now, I was under an illusion!

It's depressing me to think I could have been deluding myself all this time, when I am really ageing and very unpretty after all! How do others cope with this? Or don't you care...am I the only vain one?

[Elizabeth CP]

Maybe we're all so busy trying to do everything we wanted before its too late!!!!

My husband has a degenerative condition. He turned 60 this year & there are signs that his condition is continuing to progress restricting him further. Obviously we have to be sensible (very difficult ) & accept that some things are no longer reasonable (eg planned trip to UK for grandsons birthday in Jan put off until May when the weather is warmer so we are more likely to avoid problems due to his condition. Otherwise his attitude is ' I need to do as much as I can before it is too late. '

None of us can predict the future but as we get older the chances of ill health & other problems increases but we have a choice to make the most of today. We don't have to prove anything to anyone. Do things because we want to or we think it will help us become stronger, healthier, happier ---- not because it is suited to 'seniors' & not to 'prove' we are still young.

I need to book into a dance class this week. I love ballroom dancing but have put off getting back into it for too long!!!

[quirkywords]

Moon,

I think ten months of no posts mean we are too busy talking, thinking, dancing, working, living life to the fullest to not have much time left to even post.

Plus as you know once no one has posted for a while the post goes to the back and no one sees it any more so becomes a Catch 22 as no one posts because no one has been posting recently.

I am getting used to be 60 and I feel fine but people now treat me differently and people my age are called elderly on the news by young journalists.

My children keep telling me to grow up but that wont happen ever.

Elizabeth , illness as you have mentioned does not always go hand in hand with growing older but it does present problems as one ages.

On a positive note.

What is the best thing about being over 60?

We tend to focus on all the annoying things about growing older but lets think about the positive things.

I will start.

People ask your opinion about things because you are now deemed to have wisdom and experience.

Your turn, Good things about being over 60.

Quirky