HOW OLD IS OLD?
That probably depends on your generation and your current age. In my awkwardly aging mind, old is ten years older than me. So it changes every year. My husband was 18 years older than me so back then, old was 10 years older than him. It’s all relative.
The U.S. population age 65 and over grew from 2010 to 2020 at fastest rate since 1880 to 1890 and reached 55.8 million, a 38.6% increase in just 10 years. Many researchers have said those statistics break down as shown below:
- Young-old: (65–74 years old)
- Middle-old: (75–84 years old)
- Old-old: (over 85 years old)
- Oldest-old: (85–99 years old)
- Centenarians: (100+ years old
I’m hoping for Centenarian as long as I have good health. But middle old will suffice for now. Social Media has come up with “generation” categories as well. This household has a Baby Boomer, two Millennials, one Generation Z and one Generation Alpha. Very diversified!
- Lost Generation – 1883-1900.
- Greatest Generation – 1901-1927.
- Silent Generation – 1928-1945.
- Baby Boomers – 1946-1964.
- Generation X – 1965-1980.
- Millennials – 1981-1996.
- Generation Z – 1997-2012.
- Generation Alpha – 2013-present.
My husband used to compare his aging self to that of a vintage car. Lost a hubcap here. Had to replace a headlamp. Bought a battery replacement. Needed new windshield wipers. And so on. Just inconveniences that needed tending. Still better than buying a new plastic disposable car.
So change your mindset about knee replacements, cataract removal, prescription drugs. Keep that car going.
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count.
It’s the life in your years.”
– Abraham Lincoln
I love the vintage car comparison! You can bet your life I'll be stealing that concept from your dearly departed.
ReplyDeleteBorrow ANY ideas you find! He had so many old sayings we called them Ralphisms. When he retired the company put together the BEST hardbound book .... entitled The Book of Ralph.
DeleteWe're a Multi-Generational Household too. Two Boomers, Two Millenials, and a Gen Z. Two Gen Z's left last Year, it was too many Z's in the Household to cope with... and we pray all the Alpha's remain in their present Households coz I don't wanna hafta Raise a 3rd Generation, we just got the last Gen Z'er Raised that we were responsible for and now she's an Adult and Graduated, I can Breathe and feel I don't HAVE to Last. *Winks* My Shift on what is considered Old has been slight, I don't FEEL Old per se but I know I am and the decline is becoming evident physically and cognitively. Now, if ONLY both Presidential Candidates would acknowledge that Truth and drop out, allowing the Healthy and Mentally capable run the Country, we wouldn't be heading towards Chaos and only God knows what else... I am deeply disturbed at a Global shift towards Far Right Extremism trying to take over in what looks like a coordinated effort to destroy all the great Democracies.
ReplyDeleteEach generation is so different, don't you think? I'm lucky I am not "raising" the grandsons but I do think the parents should be a little more strict.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't get me started on voting. About 50 other countries are also having 2024 elections. Some are not off to a great start!
Thanks for coming by!
Hi! I'm here from Dawn's blog. Your blog title seems apt, as that is exactly what I'm doing, so I thought I'd stop in. I don't think old and until I started having health problems I didn't feel or seem old. Somehow that has changed! Lets all agree that old IS ten years older than where we are,
ReplyDelete