What's it like to be 50?

[mossguy]

I turned 72 last month. Oh, to be 50 again!

Tom

P.S. I remember starting to feel the slide at 53. On the plus side, there are SO many things that become unimportant and that I don't have to do anymore.

[p911dad]

I am now 60 so maybe I don't qualify, but I made several major changes in my earliest 50's. When I turned 50 I really became aware that my life was well past half over. I basically stopped drinking, now only an occasional martini or glass of wine- immediately lost 25 pounds. Started working on all the 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks, even knocked off 5 in one long day. Started really travelling to far places, still at it. Got my kids though college(now into grad schools). Got reintroduced to my faith(Episcopalian) and found a little peace. Changed my whole method of thought, much more into good karma/bad karma, much more reflective about a lot of stuff. So you might say I totally reinvented myself in my 50's and made some changes to make my later years better. Oh, and I put away my drive to accumulate stuff and money, and began to give it away in little acts of generosity. Money is a false god(younger folks are seldom ready to accept that one). Glenn

[Dan in Pasadena]

Very wise Glenn, very wise.

Change the way you think, and you change your life!

[scottmandue]

HEY.. YOU... GET OFF OF MY LAWN!!!

Lot of good post here, not much to add...
A. A little more careful, check
B. Watching what I eat and drink, check
C. Slower to recover (see A & B), check
D. Don't give a flying fuch about what other people think, great big checkareno!

Will be 51 Friday.

[Mo_Gearhead]

Was it the Stones that sang the lyric "...hope I die before I get old" and in the nineteen sixties (many that are NOW 60 years of age) had a statement that went ..."never trust anyone over thirty!"

I can only assume their outlook on life has moderated ...somewhat?

When you are young, old age seems too far away to contemplate. But guess what ...age happens! It sneaks up...like Chinese water torture, slowly, drip...drip...drip...and all too soon you arrive where you never imagined possible.

Me: Retired at 52. Still play tennis/lift weights/water ski. Enjoy life. No looking back.

Live your life daily and with the intent that if you HAD the occasion to (in the future) lie on your death bed with a few moments to ponder, be able to say to yourself ..."I have no regrets!"

Don't fear the reaper.

[tabs]

The young stuff no longer checks you out and they call you sir an mr.

[gatotom]

interesting topic...... this is my yr to turn 60, do I feel 60, yes and no.

yes, I have had 13 surgeries to fix and repair my life of crazyness, does it slow me down, well as you get older you realize you need to change things some.
As my Mom always told me, you will pay for it later in life

I don't rock climb anymore cuz my knees can't take the strain of the moves but I can sail my boat on a course with a 30 degree heel and loving it. I still ski, not all day but I can still give you a run for the money for about 2 hours.

I look at my life now in more of a preservation mode, keep what I still have. I am totally convinced that you have to use it or loss it.

I can't party as long as I used to but that's probably good, I still drink about a bottle of wine a day and have a wife that still loves to rumble in the sheets, yes, my prostrate is fine, I am 6 foot, ahh make that 5'11" now and 182 pounds.

I have been semi retired for 25 yrs now, I will work till they throw dirt over my face or no one wants to have me care for them anymore, whichever comes first.

You can't take it with you so if you really have a burning desire to go somewhere or do something, well, get er done.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by Mo_Gearhead

Was it the Stones that sang the lyric "...hope I die before I get old"
.

Yep and your senile too....it was the WHO that sang that line.

[sammyg2]

People try to put us d-down (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we get around (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)

This is my generation
This is my generation, baby

Why don't you all f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try to dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm not trying to cause a big s-s-sensation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-g-generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)

[legion]

Get a PPI!

I hear that some of the hydraulics cease to work and some of the seals degrade over time, leading some some fluid leaks.

[NY65912]

[QUOTE=scottmandue;3752465]HEY.. YOU... GET OFF OF MY LAWN!!!

Lot of good post here, not much to add...
A. A little more careful, check
B. Watching what I eat and drink, check
C. Slower to recover (see A & B), check
D. Don't give a flying fuch about what other people think, great big checkareno!

QUOTE]

Exactly! At 53, having had back surgery years ago, an arthritic spine, legs,hands and neck, Chron's disease, tinnitus, anxiety, asthma has not slowed me down a bit!

Mentally I'm still 18. But I have to coax, no convince myself to get up in the morning.

On the plus side.......kids are grown, and thankfully I have a lot more time and money. Now when the wife says "I booked a cruise "or something else that I would not have been able to do in the past I am able to.

Plan on slowing down albeit slowly. I still have about ten times more "piss and vinegar" than the young guys and know about fifty times more than they. It's somewhat rewarding to be the "old man" that the young guys come to for advice. I guess the best part is having time for the track!!

Hey, turning fifty still beats the alternative! Oh yeah, you'd be surprised how much younger women are attracted to an older man

My credo....."You'll never be better than you are today" so enjoy life now!

[Buckterrier]

50 here. And I actually am having the time of my life. Still run my 5 miles a few times a week. Have a young gf that appreciates being treated like a princess/slut... oh that's another thread
Can finally afford toys, have the experiences to help along the road of life.
And yes the body does creek a bit more and the old injuries that one gets when young do come back to haunt to you.

[Seahawk]

My mental acuity hasn't changed, but I've decided to play basketball and baseball with an older crowd.

That and seat heat is my ailing backs Viagra

[on2wheels52]

Hit the double nickle last year, still feel thirty, weigh what I did in high school (155). Can still squat down to work on the bikes and not make noise getting up.
The mortality thing is there though, time to take some time off work to do some fun things I've been putting off. I'd sell the shop and retire but my days there are so enjoyable.
Jim

[Macroni]

To celebrate the 50 I did a triathalon......haven't been able to move since.
I also bought my longhood which I hope to drive before my 51st...........

[DanielDudley]

All well said. I would add that manopause dropped in on me and my hormonal levels changed, and it was hard for me to get used to feeling different different drive levels. This is what causes men to get the seven year itch, go buy red cars, and basicly act like jerks. But when you come out the other side, things are great, and off you go on your merry way.

[RoninLB]

at 50 it's time to start planning maxing out time available to live hard or die trying.

screw responsibilities.

2 weeks after you're planted you'll be a distant memory.

[Hugh R]

On my 54th bday last weekend, I did my first DE at Willow Springs, gonna do another one soon.

[tabs]

Your all a bunch of fking old geezers, with a foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. Like Ted Nuggent said, "Yah never have to go."

[Superman]

I turned 50 last September. Woke up that morning on a mountaintop. Actually, about 200 ft below the summit, since the summit was too narrow for safe sleeping.

Differences? Well, I'm faster and stronger now, with more sexual vitality.