Jump to content

Turning 60: A Day of Confusion? Uncertainty? Panic?


Principled Man
 Share

Recommended Posts

I am 60 years old today.

 

I am trying my best to fully comprehend this number. 60. Sixty. 111100. LX.

60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour.

A triple-20 in darts. A once-used interstate speed limit.

Three generations of people (give or take a year or two). Old enough to be a great-grandfather! :o

 

I look at myself in the mirror, and I see the grey hair, the changes on my face ....

 

.....and I sometimes wonder, "Just who IS this guy?"

 

 

 

And I raise my head and stare

Into the eyes of a stranger

I've always known that the mirror never lies

People always turn away

From the eyes of a stranger

Afraid to know what

Lies behind the stare

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am 60 years old today.

 

I am trying my best to fully comprehend this number. 60. Sixty. 111100. LX.

60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour.

A triple-20 in darts. A once-used interstate speed limit.

Three generations of people (give or take a year or two). Old enough to be a great-grandfather! :o

 

I look at myself in the mirror, and I see the grey hair, the changes on my face ....

 

.....and I sometimes wonder, "Just who IS this guy?"

 

 

 

And I raise my head and stare

Into the eyes of a stranger

I've always known that the mirror never lies

People always turn away

From the eyes of a stranger

Afraid to know what

Lies behind the stare

 

I'm not far behind you and sometimes wonder how time passed so quickly that I'm nearly 6 decades old. My personal motto for a long time has been, we don't have to get old, but we do have to get older.

Edited by Fordgalaxy
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My personal motto for a long time has been, we don't have to get old, but we do have to get older.

 

We certainly have to get older, but we had better get wiser, too! Older and wiser MUST be synonymous.

 

A life that doesn't involve learning, growing and improving is not a life worth living. Stagnation kills.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

65 here. I feel like the 30 year old me but then look at the nearly entirely gray hair, soft middle, wrinkles, etc. and realize I'm not.

Only advice I can give you is that time always goes forward and ain't any of us getting younger and it ia simply life. Oh, and you're likely smarter than you were 40 years ago.

 

One other thing, Happy Birthday!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Numbers don't matter unless you let it matter. Your biological systems don't know about numbers or calendars or other human constructs, so why should you?

 

One's physical body doesn't matter. What does matter is one's self, one's conscious awareness of self-existence.

 

dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum ("I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am")

 

Who I am as a person, how I have evolved mentally, emotionally and morally matters much, much more than how my body has aged.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

happy birthday. I have a few years yet, but I have to say this latest decade of mine has been pretty rough thus far.

 

But yes, what's "inside" is most important!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Numbers don't matter unless you let it matter. Your biological systems don't know about numbers or calendars or other human constructs, so why should you?

 

One's physical body doesn't matter. What does matter is one's self, one's conscious awareness of self-existence.

 

dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum ("I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am")

 

Who I am as a person, how I have evolved mentally, emotionally and morally matters much, much more than how my body has aged.

 

Exactly, and that's what I mean with my motto. I realize that my body is aging, but in my mind, I'm still 25 years old.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I turned 60 this year. It is the first milestone birthday that I couldn't quite come to terms with. I mean 60??!! That was really really old to me at one time. I don't feel it, I don't act it and I hope I don't look it, but still. I guess you just have to come to terms with the fact you can't change it and the alternative to getting older isn't that great! Happy 60th!
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don`t think the age number matters too much, unless you let it - better to accept the enemy you can`t defeat (time). I keep an eye on my BMI and triglyceride numbers though :ph34r:

 

I`ve met hundreds of people in their 80s and older through my previous jobs that were awesome, funny, charismatic and great company, who I would happily have considered friends. I mean, short-term friends :D :rose:

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I turned 60 this year. It is the first milestone birthday that I couldn't quite come to terms with. I mean 60??!! That was really really old to me at one time. I don't feel it, I don't act it and I hope I don't look it, but still. I guess you just have to come to terms with the fact you can't change it and the alternative to getting older isn't that great! Happy 60th!

 

I remember when I was 40, and a young, not-so-bright coworker said to me, “You don’t act like you’re 40.” It was not a compliment.

 

I looked right at him and replied, “How is one supposed to act?” He didn’t have an answer, of course. He was just a dumb kid.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have a great day -- and a great 61st year!

 

Like others have said, it's just a number, but we are conditioned to think of some numbers as momentous. Was it Satchel Paige who asked "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" or is that just apocryphal?

 

Anyway, youthful is good, immature is bad. so if you feel, say, 25, then we're sure it's a "very mature" 25!

 

I'm 51 and feel emotionally 15 -- at least that what Her Indoors suggests!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have a great day -- and a great 61st year!

 

Like others have said, it's just a number, but we are conditioned to think of some numbers as momentous. Was it Satchel Paige who asked "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" or is that just apocryphal?

 

Anyway, youthful is good, immature is bad. so if you feel, say, 25, then we're sure it's a "very mature" 25!

 

I'm 51 and feel emotionally 15 -- at least that what Her Indoors suggests!

maxresdefault.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m 41 and have had a few black hairs on my nose the past few years. It’s not just the uninbrows I shave outside my regular facial hair! :lol:

 

As I’ve gotten older, I realize I LOOK younger with 2 weeks of facial hair and moreso with a goatee. I kind of see DeNiro circa Heat without the gray hair especially when I squint and do my DeNiro face. Those who’ve seen Paul Rudd in Knocked Up know what I’m talking about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Numbers don't matter unless you let it matter. Your biological systems don't know about numbers or calendars or other human constructs, so why should you?

 

One's physical body doesn't matter. What does matter is one's self, one's conscious awareness of self-existence.

 

dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum ("I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am")

 

Who I am as a person, how I have evolved mentally, emotionally and morally matters much, much more than how my body has aged.

 

Exactly, and that's what I mean with my motto. I realize that my body is aging, but in my mind, I'm still 25 years old.

 

I’m always checking myself when I’m talking to beautiful college age girls (usually coworkers). I can’t even leave the impression that I’m flirting.... :doh:

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I turned 61 this year and I still find it hard to believe I’m this old. Though I find it harder to do a lot of things that were easy 10 years ago. Like getting up off of the floor.
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congratulations Principled Man, I have seven more years to go until I hit your "existential" moment.

My wife turned the big Six-O this summer and wanted nothing to do with a party or presents. She was on her own journey, just making it through the day.

Me? Bring on the gifts :chickendance: We are in decent health, but oh how I wonder at the next few years!

Isn't it interesting how we look at ourselves and criticize, wonder, doubt...and then see others and they say "My, you don't look..." X and such.

I often read how people express their disbelief at their age and how much younger they feel, inside. I do, too, but perhaps it is ego?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

63 here and loving life!!

 

liz.alterman-202114020614577906.jpg

 

...No kidding. I have number 55 coming up in a week. A pretty rough 55, but I'm still here. Kinda like a ratty old farm truck.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...