What age constitutes "old"?

[KukriKhan]

Having reached, and passed many of the milestones cited here (25, 30, 35, 40, 50), I can say that is wasn't until I 'hit' 55 that I began to 'feel' old - defined (as drone rightfully did) as "the ability to recover or spring back".

Even ten years ago at 47, I could do an exhausting day's manual labor, get the job properly done, and with a night's rest, be back at it with the same vigor the next day. Now (at 57) I feel a gradually cumulative fatigue every day, and so look forward eagerly to my next entire day-off, to recharge my batteries, as it were. I don't snap-back like I used to. And I've become much more careful of back and joint mishaps, which take longer to heal now than the 36 hours of 20 years ago.

But, whenever I get to feeling old, I just visit my local American Legion Post. after a couple of beers with the old-timers there, I have more pep in my step, and pride in my stride.

[Vladimir]

It's relative to the individual making the assessment.

[Don Corleone]

I hit the big four-oh this year, and came face-to-face with the realization that there are probably fewer years ahead than there are behind. But that doesn't make me feel old, per se. I think the other posters are right, you're asking two questions:

1. When do you stop feeling like a youngster?
2. When do you start to feel old?

I stopped feeling like a youngster when I took my first full-time job that didn't end when school starts. And I only feel old when I've been up all night with sick kids, as I was last night. But that's a temporary thing.

Be very careful with thoughts like that... it leads to improper financial planning into retirement. I'm 2 years younger than you and I expect I'll probably see 80, but my financial plans are solid out to 90, assuming I retire at 68.

I think old is 5 years younger than whatever age I'm currently at. Honestly, I think questions like these are only relevant when you're young. Maybe I could define the end of youth then better than the beginning of old. I'll say the end of youth is when you stop caring about getting old.

Given some of the 50 year olds I see running around with sports cars and 20-something wives, trying to fake being 20-something themselves, I'm not so certain my definition of youth is something to be embraced however.

The older I get, the more existential I get, and the more I appreciate 'right now'. And I agree with Insane Apache... the older I get the less I know. Amazingly, the older I get, the WISER my father gets, as each and every day, something he said that I was convinced he was wrong on is yet again proven to be correct.

[Viking]

If you are under 25, your opinion is irrelevant.

How can you know what 'old' really means; if you are not the oldest person to ever have lived?

We are all in this thread plenty of old enough to be the younger.


Let's see....

is someone who has spent 40 years since the age of 10 in coma and then awoken, older than someone at 20? Is someone at 80 with plenty of health troubles older than someone at 110 with a "perfect" health? Is someone at an age of 40 always as old as another person at 40?


And thus, let your age show your wisdom. When is someone old?

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Old = My current age + 15 years or higher

Youngling = My current age - 15 years or lower

My current age is normal at all times.

[Hax]

34.

I don't know. That's when you get older.

55 is old.

[Koga No Goshi]

Be very careful with thoughts like that... it leads to improper financial planning into retirement. I'm 2 years younger than you and I expect I'll probably see 80, but my financial plans are solid out to 90, assuming I retire at 68.

Holy crap, at 38 your financials are set until 90? Must be nice.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Holy crap, at 38 your financials are set until 90? Must be nice.

Don's a Knight. My actual job as a Knight's agent is to help brothers plan and protect....and yes, we do use 85/90 as a target goal. Don's just a notch ahead of the curve.

[Koga No Goshi]

Could someone please explain with this "Knight" business is? I'm but a lowly west coast American.

[Strike For The South]

Could someone please explain with this "Knight" business is? I'm but a lowly west coast American.

An organization designed to undermine the Anglo-Protestant roots this country was built on. Knights of Columbus
Its a good organization Im just busting chops

[Koga No Goshi]

An organization designed to undermine the Anglo-Protestant roots this country was built on. Knights of Columbus
Its a good organization Im just busting chops

All these signs and symbols and geometric angles, it smells Scientologist to me! Or Freemason!

[Strike For The South]

All these signs and symbols and geometric angles, it smells Scientologist to me! Or Freemason!

more along the Freemason line

[Koga No Goshi]

more along the Freemason line

It would explain some of the sudden outbursts of strangeness. :)

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Try this:

http://www.kofc.org

[OverKnight]

Old is when your birthdays stop being milestones and start being millstones, around your neck.

Old is waking up with mysterious and inexplicable aches and pains.

Old is remembering seeing movies in the theatre that they're now doing remakes of (barring the Hulk of course).