For context, I am 65, retired for seven years, married and have children and grandchildren. The lists below are based on my specific life details. I know items on your lists may be different, but I’d love to hear about them to learn from your experience.
Things I Am Doing Now As Compared To When I Was Younger
- Learning to splurge a little more (as I am able)
- Flying instead of driving
- Using an Uber (versus park at the airport or ask someone for a ride)
- Making larger financial gifts to loved ones (now instead of later)
- Paying for meals at restaurants for our adult children and their families
- Saving for the educational expense of grandchildren
- Answering questions as the Identified go to person in my family for financial matters
- Participating more at the local senior center I recently became a member. Started by taking yoga classes
- Getting to better know my increasing cadre of doctors
- Considering a move to a new location and home for the first time in 40 years
- Reflecting on the life that I have lived, and how I want to spend the time I have left
Things That I Have Noticed That Remind Me I Am No Longer Young
- Attending more tribute and legacy acts of favorite musical performers
- Hearing what was once edgy, contemporary music (from the 60s and 70s) categorized as oldies and playing in elevators, stores and restaurants (it’s really funny to hear something like a Led Zeppelin tune playing in a restaurant)
- Being unable sometimes to open a new jar of pickles. An under the counter jar opener is a great investment
- Needing to work harder at getting the amount of sleep I’d like to have, despite having no shortage of time
- Appreciating the daily activities of life for both pleasure and for their health benefit
Things I Need To Do Or Am Working Towards
- Get my estate documents redone
- Investigate Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC)
- Pre-purchase and coordinate cremation arrangements
- Receive more dog kisses
- Kiss my wife more (after wiping off the puppy slobber)
- Give thanks for each day and all that I have been blessed with in life
Things I Plan To Delegate When They No Longer Remain Fun Or Doable:
- Hire someone else to take care of our yard
- Hire someone else to clean out the gutters (so I don’t fall off the roof and kill myself)
- Get a “Full Self Driving” vehicle that can safely chauffeur us around
- Turn over management of our financial dealings to one of our children or hired trusted advocate
What things are you finding yourself doing or experiencing more, as your seasons of life progress?
Which are you enjoying?
What challenges are you experiencing, and have you found any solutions to help deal with them?
Thanks everyone for all of your wonderful comments and ideas.
You’ve provided plenty of great advice on how to better grow old. It doesn’t sound all that bad after all.
And some of these ideas were even tangentially related to financial matters 😉
I actually like to shovel snow. I know, sick, right? Even though the HOA does a lousy job, I don’t shovel because I know there is a physical hazard that comes with being 73, and working hard in sub-freezing temperatures.
I don’t shave every day either, though I have to be extra careful smooching with Chrissy on my off days. Chrissy is a delicate flower.
I still wash my hair every day, but often forget to run a brush through it. Last time I went for a haircut, my barber had to cut out a mat. I now have something in common with Sophie the wonder cat. My barber, who first cut my hair in 1972 at barber college, got a good laugh out of that.
I didn’t used to scare myself when looking at my reflection in a mirror.
Back when the ElderBeerMen were just the beer men, we never talked of high cholesterol and recent PSA test results.
I used to wonder if I would ever suffer a mid-life crisis. Now I’m sad because it seems I’ve missed my chance.
These days I’m in bed around the same time I used to be heading out for a night on the town.
Does anyone say ‘night on the town’ any longer?
I didn’t used to scare myself when looking at my reflection in a mirror.
Ha! For me it was this: I’d had cataracts developing for over a decade. Looking in the mirror the morning after the first surgery, I was shocked to see I’d aged ten years! On a financial note, thanks to Medicare and Medigap G, no out-of-pocket cost for that shock beyond the monthly premiums.
Willie Nelson has a new album being released soon. In one song he sings about not recognizing the image looking back at him from the mirror. This will probably be his final album, I’m looking forward to hearing the entire thing.
And bravo to Medicare and plan G! One of my friends was complaining about paying several thousand dollars for a procedure. I didn’t ask, but I’m sure he has a Medicare Advantage plan. Like I said, I just kept my mouth shut.