“You become invisible to every man, woman, and child on the planet.
Younger people want us to go away because they don’t want to look at their future.”
With a little luck, all of us will be old one day.
But until that day comes, it’s hard to really know what it will be like.
“The hardest part of my getting older, now at 90, is being alone.
Sadly, there are just two left, my older sister and me.
And then I remember and put down the phone without dialing.”
Lilian Taylor, Quora
2.
“You age on the outside but forget to age on the inside.
It’s like those movies where a young person and an old person change bodies.
How would you feel?
That’s exactly like being old.
The person inside is still you.
You haven’t changed your sense of self.
You still expect the same things of yourself.
It’s just that the world sees you in a completely different way.”
Robert Leonetti, Quora
3.
“Do you want to know what really makes me angry about getting old?
It’s not being young anymore.
At that point, it’s too late to do anything about it.
“You become invisible to every man, woman, and child on the planet.
Younger people want us to go away because they don’t want to look at their future.
We thought we were always going to be young.
We thought it was never going to happen to us, but it does.
Sadly, it will happen to you too.”
Cyndi Perlman Fink, Quora
4.
“It’s the fact that you aren’t taken seriously anymore.
My partner and I have been called ‘cute’ on more than one occasion.
I’ve been advised to ‘keep busy’ (until I die?)
and treated as if I’m out of the loop technically and socially.
Expectations about my mental and physical ability have dropped with no reasonable cause.
Bonnie Lavigne, Quora
5.
“Old lady arms.
You know, that dimply, loose skin that just hangs around even though I’m thin.
But I absolutely HATE not feeling comfortable in sleeveless clothing!”
Vickie Blank, Quora
6.
“Family, friends, and acquaintances drop dead all around you every few weeks/months.
Recently, some of ‘the guys’ got together in a nearby city for lunch.
They all grew up together.
The seemingly healthiest of them all, well, he died in his sleep two nights after this get-together.
Grief is continuous with us.
And the more people you know, the more often this happens.
Anne H., Quora
7.
Losing the good things about that life sucks.
Watching the world get meaner sucks.
An aging body hurts and can’t do what the still young feeling mind would like to do.
But it’s not all bad.
Learning to love deeper is fantastic.
Embracing peace into your being is wonderful.”
“I have friends and family who like to watch Fox News and get all jacked up.
They don’t see that they are giving away a huge part of their life to unnecessary bitterness.
I don’t watch the news at all, except the weather.
It’s my life, and I’ll spend whatever time I have being happy.
If I can’t fix it, then I’m not going to fret over it.
Peace is a very valuable thing.
I don’t fear death.
I do worry about living like a potted plant.
I eat my vegetables and exercise.
But time can be a nasty bitch.
Mark Stead, Quora
8.
“Losing your mate.
I was married for 52 years, and he died in 2021.
I’m having such a hard time living without him.
I miss him so much.
Joy Holt, Quora
9.
“That favorite restaurant you and your significant other love to visit?
You better enjoy it now; it will probably be closed in a couple of years.
Those wonderful neighbors you used to do cookouts with?
They moved to Florida, and you will never see them anymore.
Casual conversations while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store?
Forget it; everyone’s staring at their phone.
(Oh, and by the way, you will be doing ‘self check-out.')”
Michael Driessen, Quora
10.
“Your memory fades.
By noon, I can’t recall what I had for breakfast!”
Jon Potter, Quora
11.
“I reach over to feel my wife sleeping beside me in the dark.
I can hear her.
I can feel her side rise up and down as she breathes.
I wish it didn’t have to end.
But there’s not much anyone can do about it.
So we should make a run at take one day at a time.
Jim Wilson, Quora
12.
Henry, Quora
13.
“This dropping dead thing is the thing that bothers me the most.
So, that is my only complaint, really, if you even call it that.
“I always venture to remind my son that I may not be here tomorrow.
Bella Taylor, Quora
14.
“I just turned 69.
Never in my whole life did I think I would reach this age.
Now that I am a senior citizen, my body hates me.
Aches and pains I never thought could exist started popping up.
My body used to fight for me.
Now I’m being told it’s my turn.
Randy, Quora
15.
“Living on a pension that fails to resemble or match a monthly wage.”
Ian McClymont, Quora
16.
It’s looking in the mirror and finding yourself saying, ‘When the hell did THAT happen?'”
India J. Mitchell, Quora
17.“Pain.
It’s a blast!”
Elizabeth M. Chapman, Quora
18.
“I’m almost 68 and amazed at how fast it happens.
In the past year, I can’t believe how much I have aged.
And my body isn’t as strong or resilient as it was just a year ago.
The hardest part for me is looking in the mirror.
Maybe it’s vanity, but I miss seeing a youthful face.
Now, wrinkles and spots have taken over.
Not to be a total downer my mind is in good shape.
I’m still interested in many things, I like to learn, and I would love to travel.
I have a long bucket list but I’m not sure this body could keep up.
I was better at being young.”
Louise Piper, Quora
19.And finally: “Eyesight!
I had Lasik surgery at 45 on one eye, and for about 15 years, it was great.
I didnt need glasses at all.
Then, gradually, I began to need reading glasses again.
Distance isnt too bad, but even that is not as acute as it once was.
I HATE driving at night.
My eyes cant adjust fast enough when an oncoming car has its headlights on.”
Melanie Procopia, Quora
Some entries have been edited for length and/or clarity.
