Getting Old

Am I old?

That's the question I asked myself recently. Mentally, I don't feel old. I still feel mentally sharp. I'm engaged with the world around me. I travel several times every year, including trips overseas. I keep up to date with current events. I recently started to learn a new photo editing program, and there is another, more complex program I am working on. I read 30 books or more every year. I use Facebook regularly, I have an online photography shop, and until I deactivated them, I had both Instagram and Twitter accounts.

Physically, I admit to some health issues such as bursitis in both hips (something I've had for 20+ years), osteoporosis, and vision issues in one eye. But otherwise, I'm in good health. I'm not obese. I don't need supplemental oxygen. I don't need a walker, a cane or a wheelchair to get around. I'm not diabetic. I walk 3 to 5 miles every day. My blood pressure is excellent. Yes, my hair is totally gray, but so what? I could have my hair colored if I didn't want gray hair. But it looks good on me, so it will stay gray. I'm not as thin as I once was, and I'm trying to drop a few pounds. But it's not a major issue.

And what defines 'old' anyway? Age is just a number. What is considered old varies from person to person and from culture to culture. The definition of 'old' has changed over the years in the United States as well.

When I was a young adult, my parents seemed old to me when they were in their late 40s. As I approached that age, being 40-something no longer seemed old. Today, I admire 'senior citizens' who remain active and engaged. On a trip to Costa Rica a few years ago, I was surprised to see a woman and her 80-something year old mother who had recently recovered from a broken leg. She wasn't able to do some of the walks, but she was there, she was engaged and she was having a good time with her daughter. My physician's mother, 87 years old at the time, fell and broke her hip while chopping wood on a winter day. 

Some people are old in their 40s. Others continue to be active into their 80s and beyond. There is no government chart that says that one is old at age 55 or 60 or 70. We all age differently, depending on genetics, the environment in which we live, health issues and how we take care of ourselves.

Loss of mobility and independence often are used to define when someone becomes 'old.' But there was a woman in my father's assisted living facility who was probably in her late 40s-early 50s. I didn't consider her old, but she had some health challenges and she chose to live in assisted living. Our definition of what it means to be old is an ever-changing target. Yes, I get stiff after sitting for a while. I have arthritis in my hands. Both of those things are more common in people of a certain age. But I'm not yet ready for the rocking chair or the nursing home. I take care of my house and my yard. I shovel snow (fortunately a rare thing where I live). I pull weeds and I rake leaves. I take care of multiple dogs.

I am a firm believer in the adage 'use it or lose it.' I believe that my lifetime of physical activity (33+ years of running every day), hiking (although less strenuous ones than before), and daily walking, along with my efforts to keep my brain engaged, both are contributing to my good health. My family has a history of Alzheimer's disease, so I am more committed than ever to doing whatever I can to minimize the risk of contracting that horrible disease.

So yeah, I guess I am old in a chronological sense. I have some age-related physical signs. But my mind is still sharp. I certainly don't feel old. And I think that's the biggest part of getting old.