..when people "our age" seemed older?

My next birthday will mark my 52 years alive. It's so hard for me to imagine that I am the age I used to think was old.

Do you think you act like what YOU thought others were like when they were your age now?

That's a good question Di. I think I act younger than I am. When I was younger, I considered 60 really old. But I have to admit, when I see photogaphs, I think, eeeeee....I look old. So I guess the fountain of youth is way deep inside of me....so deep, nobody can see it. My DILs tell me I look alot younger, but they are always sweet to me, so I don't know if it's the truth.

Is your picture a recent one? You look like 20 year olds.

Agree with you Di, but I probably don't look that young anymore. Hard to know what others would guess my age if they didn't know my background or know anything about me.

But for certain I look entirely different in the aging process compared to my mother at same age (50). Physically having 6 children wore down my mother.

That's an interesting question. In some ways I'm definitely older. I don't dye my hair, so am sure a lot of younger folks think I'm about half dead. I don't think I wear old-lady clothes, but sure don't care too much about what's in fashion. My mother got quite heavy and I haven't, so there's a difference. And I was quite active until a serious illness laid me out; I'm lucky I can walk and am much stiffer, but bit by bit....

One thing I have noticed, which used to frustrate me when I was younger, is that I, too, no longer get that worked up about things. I think we have all seen plenty of elections, natural disasters, wars (unfortunately), sickness, and celebrity scandals. After awhile you learn this too shall pass....

When I was 6 I was an exceptional child. I didn't get along well with other children, so i chose to hang out with adults. I learned somehow how to guess other people's ages and I was astonishingly good at it (I can't do this now!)
As a matter of fact, i really annoyed some people by correctly telling their age in social gatherings.
I remember this one woman, her name is gone into the mists of time. She was a single woman with a boston terrier. I sat next to her and looked at her greying hair and her wattles (neck skin) and her funny fingers... she was 52 years old (I'm 57 now) to me she was very old. She did not like children and especially smart aleck children who guess her age. Of course I knew people who were older than her back then too, but noteworthy is the fact that at the age of 6 I was certain that 50 was over the hill.
I have strived to not be that puffy unhappy woman.

I sometimes forget I'm 62 and then I see a picture of myself...yikes, I'm an old woman. In looks I haven't aged well, grey hair, fat, winkled, etc. but I'm happy as a lark and enjoying this age and time of life.

Being a preschool teacher to 3 and 4 year olds I'm sure they think I'm old beyond belief. I have the patience with them I never had as a younger person so I'm sure they think of me more as Grandma than.....

I've found Di that it's a great time of life. The responsibilities of raising family, working because you must, etc. etc. is over, for me anyway, and I can pretty much do as I please.

It's good we get to this age gradually because it's so much easier to accept. It seems our minds tell us we're young and can do anything we please. Of course when we try doing some of those things we find we can't but it's alright, we accept it gracefully...ha!

Growing old is something very difficult for me. I use to tell people my age and they always said, oh my you look so much younger. Now they don't say that as often. I never felt old until recently. I certainly don't act or think old, not even close. Heck I am 68 and doing sexy, steamy phone fantasy calls like a 29 year old. I am beginning to think about my own mortality which I never did before. My mom is 89 and going strong. She is full of life and acts 50. However mon has no health problems, I on the other hand am overweight, have diabetes and high blood pressure so who knows if my good genes will make a difference. I guess if I were to be completely honest I would say growing old sucks!!!!! Especially being alone at this time.

I, too, have great difficulty growing older. Especially knowing that I'll be alone.....no children/grands to have in my later years to enjoy and be around and dote over.

Although DH and I do our best to eat as healthy as we can (except for chocolate), one just never knows. Having had cancer all around my family (mother, aunts, grandmother), that leaves a bit of concern, too.

Since I never feel old enough to be the age that a grandmother would be...heck, I still get shocked that friends my age have kids! In my mind, I'm still not "old enough" to be a parent. It's sad to admit but I guess I'm still in "waiting" mode, yet it never happened. My head still has not grasped the fact that I'll never be a mother.

People, too, get shocked at my age (hey, it's the Shea Butter...what can I say??), but sometimes my body sure doesn't move like it used!

Funny how the mind can play games on us.

Guess am wondering, chatty what is triggering you to think more negatively about aging? Unlike some people your age, you are actively engaged in some paid work, improving some family relationships and you have some hobbies on the side that you enjoy. You are clearly more self-aware and taking action in various areas of your life. A good thing.

yeah, Plainswoman, I'm with you. It's better not to look in the mirror! the old grey mare ain't what she used to be, that's for sure. And I can look forward to getting all the saggy skin and wrinkles that my two grandmothers developed. The alternative is worse! In my head, I'm still in my 30's. Raw confrontations with the mirror dispel those notions, so I try to avoid it.

I definitely think my regular cycling has changed my health.
When you realize that you can ride 50 or 100 miles on a bike, some of those other things (like pushups for example) become less lofty and frightening.
I signed up at a gym a few years back with the goal of learning to do pushups. Since i had osteopenia i was counseled to do weight bearing exercise (bicycling doesn't count) and pushups were one of those. So after about 4 months of weight lifting and all sorts of other exercises, I could do one. I've done about 15 in a row (the best I've done) but I could probably do 7 right now if i pushed myself. Cycling to work is my major exercise, but it has certainly changed me from someone who was always sick
to someone who has aches and pains but is mostly healthy.
And my goodness, my legs used to be so scrawny; now they're curvy and muscular. ! Like Orchid's!

Methinks Madeline I believe you are a stronger cyclist than I, based on some of your bike trip stories.

Anne, a low-impact exercise with some sustained and vigorous cardiovascular benefits, plus balance is helpful..well to me. I returned to cycling since I was 32 (I'm 50 now). Before moving to Vancouver 7 yrs. ago, I did not cycle at all in the winter, since I am not a snow cyclist and it was just alot more snow in Ontario.

It's a great sign, Anne that your knee pain went away, when you were cycling on stationary bike! I can't cycle on a stationary bike, because usually the bike geometry is too big/wrong for me. Maybe it might give you some future ideas? Keep us posted here. I'm sure Madeline and I (and if cyclingirl would also return to BMWS too) can give you some pointers here over time. Not sure if chatty has started up cycling with her little group.

The benefit of cycling often of course, is helpful to hiking and in the winter, snowshoeing in the mountains. By the way, I don't hike/snowshoe with much weight in my backpack. It's just me. I don't like carrying much weight on by back. Nor do I cycle with a backpack. All these years I've been using bike panniers clipped on bike rack at back of bike.

For myself Anne, cycling also is a clear lifestyle choice and ...a real transportation necessity since we choose not to have a car. So cycling is like walking alot to do errands, etc., it becomes integrated and seamless into one's daily life.

uhuh,
you ride more than I do!!

I remember telling my Mom that she should be wearing Old Lady clothes when I was in middle school and thought I was witty. She would have been younger than I am now (50).

My kids got me the Wii Fit for Mother's Day and I've had a great time piled up in the recliner watching them work out!

My group started Orchid but when I was ill in April I wasn't able to go along. We decided we'd ride as many miles as possible everyday adding as we went along. We are so fortunate as right next to our resort is the Vegas Valley Nature Preserve full of trails for bikes, trees, birds, all kinds of ponds, waterfalls and even brisk running waters. Much is natural and some man made but a great place to ride everyday seeing different birds, animals and hundreds of flowering plants and bushes. I have gone with the group since the 6th of May. We don't get any snow to speak of but are anxious to see the different in the trails once winter comes around. This morning we had 11 cyclists in the group.

Excellent chatty! Once summer heats up, do you think that people will want to start earlier in morning or later in evening?

Are you the de facto cycling herder or group organizer? Or there's someone else as equally pumped as you to get people together? You are more social than I on the bike group riding. I'm pretty wordless, keep to myself when I lead a group. If I'm with 1 other person, I would be more inclined to talk abit more. Less, people to worry/think about behind me.

Amy: that was funny, watching your kids having a good time with your present.

I'm impressed that you can do pushups, Madelaine. I never could do any, at any age.

Chatty, biking around Vegas sounds like so much fun. I have never thought of Vegas offering so much natural beauty.

Here are some photos of Bodensee bike tour:
http://www.radsport-trainingslager.de/bodensee-radtour.html

When I bike through pretty places, I can go on and on and on. One of my favourite bike trails is along Bodensee, the biggest lake in Europe. They have fantastic trails. Hubby, our son, and I will be doing a bike tour there next week, ( if the weather allows).

I am the organizer and head of the group I guess. When the weather gets really heated up we will ride in the evening around 10:00 p.m., as the roads are all well lit we will be on. The resort we live in has very wide, blacktopped roads and sidewalks so we will probably cycle within the resort itself. The people living there know the speed limit for cars is 10 miles per hour and the security gates are closed and locked after dark. A couple of our male riders started singing as we rode and now everyone is singing. Its a blast!

Chatty and Edelweiss: This is a cycling song, suitable for boomers. But I admit I didn't quite remember of all of the pop group, Queen's songs at that time.

I Want to Ride my Bicycle: http://new.music.yahoo.com/cycle-v/
Enjoy!!

Thanks for the link Orchid! Tapping my wheels, eh, my feet over here.

that's just it, Edelweiss, I couldn't either. But i was able to work up to it and learn.
Now will it help my bones? I'll never know.

EW, I'm bopping with you. Love hearing the bicycle bells of my youth!

chatty, I'm listening to you talk about your cycle club. I'm thinking I'm going to begin a walking club in the neighborhood. I'm meeting three women neighbors tonight and I'm going to get their feedback. My body is getting way too stiff. This is the longest I've ever gone without some type of exercise and I'm getting antsy and feeling out of shape. YUCK!

It sounds to me that other cities are much more bike friendly than Baltimore, and I'm not one for riding in the street, expecting drivers to look out for me. That makes me nervous.

Great idea Dotsie, I love walking but hate walking alone. When with someone or a group you tend to walk a lot farther without evening being aware of it sometimes.

Di,
I cannot wrap my brain around my age. I feel like 20 something.
And I am, well, what I am... Old enough to know better, too
young to resist. Good grief...

I'm with you, jabber. I can't imagine howwwww I arrived at 55. I also still feel so much younger in my mind. I know some people my age who act like they're already 70....very sad to me. There's so much to do and discover in this life. But it's a choice, as always.

I remember being a kid and thinking people the age I am now,
were older than Methuselah, when he died; he lived to be 969 (per Biblical time reference).

We had a male visitor during the night and I had to delete him form this topic.

Anyone want to begin a site for boomer men?

Yeah, let's start a site and invade them !!! hahaha

When I watch old movies and tv shows, I get a kick out of how old everyone is. Someone who's 30 then (in the 1950s) is more like someone 50 now. The old folks in their 50s look like people now in their 70s! There was also a lot more smoking and drinking back then, which might have had something to do with it? I recently read an article about "grups" which is short for grown-ups -- and is about how nowadays people in their late 30s, early 40s are dressing and acting like those in their 20s.

We sometimes load up the bikes and go up to the NCR trail to ride, but it's kind of crowded sometimes. And no matter what I do, my butt hurts after a few miles -- I've got a padded seat, and wear biking shorts, but still... So I mostly walk a treadmill, lift weights and swim.

Hurtin' butt after a few miles, might be due to:
*position of the saddle and bike fit. If possible to readjust it with nose either level with ground, or have nose, front of saddle, tipped abit up or down. Other option is have saddle moved forward closer to bike stem (which holds up your handlebars).

It depends which social groups I meet up with where people our age seem "older", in terms of how they look, dress and level of health. I have a friend just 1 yr. older than I and I worry about her because she looks 15 yrs. older than I. She had major surgery and number of problems related to her bowel and ovaries which has slowed her down. Unfortunately she is still eating a heavily based pork/meat diet, plus butter and sugars which isn't helping her. she tells me that walking up a hill for long does require effort and it hurts her feet to walk beyond half an hr.

I've known her for over last 25 yrs. She was completely different in terms of her health back then...meaning so much more active walking wise and healthier.

DJ, find yourself a good bike shop and you can buy yourself a sheep skin covered bicycle seat. They come extra wide and extra soft. Two of the ladies in my group of bike riders went together and bought me one for my birthday, its fantastic!

My butt hurts after horseback riding an hour or two. WB and I
stopped biking in '95, after we moved out in the hills.

Maybe I'll do that Chatty. I have the extra wide cushy seat. Went biking today and just dealt with it because it was so gorgeous out!

Jabber, I'm suffering in about 10 minutes. I'd be happy if it took an hour or two. Guess I have a bony butt, or else my natural padding gets displaced.

orchid, we lost faith in the bike shop and have yet to find another one.

Groovy bikes 15 to 20 miles in a ride. Don't know how she does
it, but that gal has more get up and go than Princess Warrior.

WB and I were in the car the other day going up a hill near our
home, on the way to Letchworth State Park to geocache. When
we got to the top, I told hubby Groovy rode her bike up that hill. He said, "It's hard enough gettin' up there in a car."
That made me laugh!

I went bike riding several years ago along the C&O Canal here in Maryland and oh those bikes and seats were so hard on me . I think I hurt for a week and could hardly sit at my desk at work .I guess they make more softer seats now , at least I hope so .

This thread from an Internet place that is dedicated to women's cycling gives one an idea of how many women close to 50 and over are taking up cycling regularily.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=7782

Many of these women are not racers, several are trying to lose weight while they rediscover fun on bike. Many have returned to cycling after several decades.

If a bike shop does not fit you properly on the bike, try another one. It does mean trying out different bikes, having them properly adjusted for you, going for several rides. Not all bike shop employees treat women customers to meet their needs. It's like buying a car by yourself.

My first 2 bike rides less than 10 miles each after not cycling for 12 years, were painful in butt on my new bike. And the bike did fit me fine. After a few more rides, I got used to it.

Orchid, looks like a nice group of people in your cyling forum.

A new highway is being built, (called the romantic highway), about 15 miles from us. We've been going cycling there alot. It's so much fun...a whole 6 lane highway to yourself!!! It's been catching on among the cylists, and on weekends it actually gets crowded! It will be finished in September. But our view of this magnificent highway will always be a little more personal, because of out bike tours on it.

Orchid,
I didn't know bikes had to be fitted to individual riders.
It makes sense. I just never thought about it. Stirrups need to be fitted, so why not bikes. WB got his bike out recently so
he could use it geocaching along the bike path in the city.
Perhaps we'll start biking again, who knows. Bikes come in handy when camped after RV'ing daylong.

Getting back t how old people looked. I have pictures of an aunt from the 60s. At that time she was in her 50s. She actually looked older then, than she did prior to her death. I think it could be the black and white photos and the house dresses and shoes she wore. Oh, and the hairstyle. I can't believe I am the age she was in those old photos. No wonder my kids think I'm old.

Not only the older people..I moved from school uniform to twin set straight skirt and nylons with suspender belt..when I started work.my aunt 17 years older wore almost the same..this was in 62/63 when denim was worn here by mostly by manual workers..very soon afterwards jeans started to be worn by boys..we also had full drindle skirts with layers of petticoats..young men wore suits..
Teenagers were an invention...when the Boomers started to earn money and were targeted by music/magazines/fashion outlets as an entity..
we used to call older kids..big boys and girls...meaning they were over 15/16..
But the older women wore hats to go go shopping...and pregnant women stayed home in the last weeks..just in case!!!
times change

that's not the half of it. Young pregnant women were dismissed from jobs just as soon as employers detected that they were pregnant. Not only that it was considered impolite to talk about pregnancy, and people would use other words to describe it..

Everyone wore hats, even children. During the president's inauguration this January, I saw Aretha Franklin wearing THE hat and i wondered why we don't wear hats anymore. I remember wearing a kerchief over my head in cold and rainy weather as a little girl. Now we see Muslim girls dressed like that and think they look foreign.

As far back as I could remember (i was born in 51) Teenagers were teenagers (according to one source the word was coined in 1938 - how old are you Mountain Ash?) but the behavior that we saw in teenagers in the 50's is what I'm seeing now in little girls. They are wearing makeup and stylish ultra feminine clothes. EEEK

And I look at photos of my grandmother at my age, and she was already wearing matronly clothing, even though she was healthy and in good shape.

When I was a kid from say baby to teenage, my mother, a slender gorgeous brunette wore cotton wrap around house dresses. Or plain dresses for going out and sensible shoes. It was as is she were 60 years old. She and my father divorced when she was 43 and my sisters and I dragged her out shopping, cleaned out her closet and had a bonfire. We got her into snazzy dresses, sexy shoes and pants suits. Plus she wore jeans around the house and blouses or tee shirts. Mom loves sweats when gardening or cleaning house, and at 89 looks young, and dresses so much younger that when she actually WAS YOUNG!!! Thats what happens when you listen to a jealous, controling man, like my father was...

Do enjoy that highway as much as possible on the bikes now. Take photos and videos of each other cycling. There will be less opportunity without getting run over by a car on any road.

Go as far as you can it, in peace on the bike..NOW!! Early morning is a good, cooler temperature time.

In fact, we're crossing our fingers that a proposal will be approved for a festival near end of this summer, to make a whole street route car-free for a whole day..this is about 15 kms. long..will be approved. Will allow another stretch of the waterfront and beach area for cyclists and pedestrians.

Jabber, yes, for your hubby, it's less effort to cycle vs. walking for geocaching. And one goes exploring farther in same amount of time.

Madaline
I was born May 1946
and yes the films we got from US showed plaid shirts and jeans but here in my area..rural scotland it took until mid sixties when a different culture emerged..Ground breaking plays called kitchen sink dramas opened up society.Look Back in Anger Cathy come home etc...
Remember the effect of WW2 were present in UK in a severe way and rationing of food until early fifies..The emergence of new towns since bombs had flattened many cities shifted society.Locally a new town was started and a mix of industry followed. as we Boomers started to earn and our Government swung from Conservative a new freedom started.More in London Brighton Liverpool etc..
but I was speaking from a personal stance..Home knitting was the norm and I longed for shop bought sweaters.But needlwork and the simple shift dress opened fashions door.Make do and mend was a motto during my childhood.

Magdaline
the pregnancy issue.Married women gave up jobs here on marriage.Unless in a family business.that could be shop or farm.Widows were prefered and all our dinner ladies were such women.when the new town was built factories had swing shifts and then openings occurred.which meant these women workd twice as hard.They did prosper and many couples then bought theie own home.At the time the right to buy a council built home became law..fine for those first tenents but sadly housing stock is depleted..
As well as not going out for the last weeks of gestation women whispered about "when they were better" as a girl I puzzeled about what illness they had and how they knew exactly when they would get "better"
Also worn were smocks over their clothes to hide their baby bump.I actually have similar tops this year but alas no baby bump

My mom and grandmom wore dresses everyday, plaid, cotton house dresses. Women seldom wore slacks back in the early 50s. Never saw grandma in slacks. Mom wore pantsuits toward the end of her
life; she died in '93. Gram died in '63. Sis wore jeans. She died
very young, the year and month Elvis passed.

Oh, Mountain Ash, how much things have changed! You're right, married women couldn't be teachers once upon a time!
I know my mother also pined for store bought; and when I was small I stated my preference for the dresses my grandmother made me, and she was amazed that I too didn't want store bought. It's simple, I had a choice, more or less, and she didn't. If they didn't sew it, they didn't get it.
I never wore anything except skirts and dresses until i graduated from Highschool. In college I wore jeans and that was the end of the dress era in my life.

The absolute good thing about my childhood was how none of we girls were competing in the fashion sense..unlike what I perceive with tinies now.We had blazers..a school badge worn with pride on the pocket a trench style coats.school ties/scarves.weekend for Sunday school good coat (passed down to cousins) home knitted gloves and pixie hoods.These were marvellous creations in fair isle knitting and how I wish I had kept one or at least the pattern.we all had tartan kilts..worn for several winters.the bodice was tucked and sown then let down as we grew.These were allowed in school as part of our uniform.
We were clean smart and warm in the Scottish winter..Learning to do dressmaking was a revelation and we older girls shared patterns.especially the drindle skirts..
There was that big day when the school uniform was redundant.My first job I wore a lab coat..and the sunday coat as my day coat.
then came the shift and out came the dressmaking tools.

Mountain Ash, it sounds like wonderful memories. I wore a school uniform too, but was teased because mine was different (homemade!)
and other kids teased even about what kind of socks you wore. We didn't have that many choices, white anklets, kneesocks...! but still the jealousy and torment was there. I remember it well, having been the butt of their jokes and jibes.
However, none of us were trying to look like sex goddesses, and there was no cleavage ANYWHERE except maybe at a swimming pool and that only some over endowed older woman..

Despite having 3 grandparents who were tailors, I never learned to sew!

Socks...were hand knitted..up to knee in winter.extra wool mean they were re footed as they wore.....a slight shade difference!!
Garters kept them neat
my cousins had thigh high knitted stockings...joined by suspenders onto a liberty bodice.One cousin hated them and changed at school.They had a distance to walk.I was nearer school thank goodness

Mountain, you memories are very touching, and reminiscent of another era.

Mad, I also wore a uniform from kindergarten thru 12th grade. Elementary school, everyone looked the same. White socks in the summer, navy knee highs in the winter. Plaid skirts and white peter pan collared blouses, with either a navy or white sweater. By the time I went to high school, we wore the same skirts and shirts, but we could wear any socks or sweaters we wanted, and the nuns had a tough enough time managing that. Everyone showed their creativity by switching up the socks, sweaters, and of course, jewelry. I actually liked iit better when we all looked the same, and didn't have to think about what to wear with my uniform.

Anne, I look back at photos of Mom's hair and wonder what were they thinking back then. She'd have her hair done every Friday right before we got out of school. Nothing looked natural. Not by a long shot. Tons of color and way too much hairspray.

These posts were fun reads, about uniforms and handmade clothes. Grandma sewed a skirt 'n blouse outfit for my 7th Grade Home Economics project. The teacher displayed the skirt 'n blouse outfit in a showcase, for all to see. Grandma sewed fanastically. I, on the other hand, did not. But I wish I was good at crafts.

What I did not mention was hair ribbons..I had plaits for years and they were tied with elastic first then ribbon bows.Then later a cut where one tuft was held back ith a ribbon finished by a clasp.Later early teens I had a pony tail for a time then trimmed and I stated to use rollars.My friend was a trainee so hairdos were done by her.indeed looking back despite uniform/home made we exercised our individual style in other ways.
My ribbons were kept crisp and a source of colour and texture.I still like ribbons and have a small stash amongst my sewing items

Love to see little girls with hair ribbons. I even like to see
hair ribbons in puppies! LOL...

Now thats sometnhing that has all but disappeared, the hair ribbon. I like seeing a little girl in her fancy dress wearing a ribbon. Some old customs need to never die.

I agree.

I remember going to the store and being allowed to pick out my own ribbons. Wonderful colors, plaids. Anne, I don't think they went out of style because they slip out of the hair of active children; i think they have been replaced by plastic doodads. My mother used to IRON the ribbons. Can you imagine a modern mother doing THAT?

My ribbons were washed wrapped round a heating pipe and were ready to be stored .These were my treasure..
some did get ironed..but the heating pipe did a good job...

Mad, that was big when I was in high school too. I recall going to the fabric store and falling in love with the ribbons. Our basketball team all used the same red and white checked ribbon so we all coordinated. Urg, we also wore RED High Top Converse. EW!

My girlfriend and I in High School were the COOL girls, we all wore black jackets with a pick butterfly on the back, and oh don't let me forget the skin tight levis. I loved my levis, and they lasted forever.