I'd like to know what age one must reach to be considered "elderly." I'll turn 66 next month, and I don't mind being referred to as a "senior" (love the discounts), but I am certainly not "elderly." I'm extremely young-at-heart, love classic rock (listened to Aerosmith and Jethro Tull today at full blast), I sing and play guitar, love to party once in a while with friends, keep up with current pop culture, and I walk about two miles most days. Elderly? I think not! LOL
Let's see, at one point in my life, I think forty seemed like elderly to me. Of course, before I reached forty, that line had moved to sixty. By the time I reached forty, I still didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. Now that I'm seventy-one and feeling some of the elderly pains and limitations, I'm almost willing to allow that number to be near me, but not quite. I'd say eighty years old is elderly. Get back to me in eight or nine years, and I might adjust that.
Reasonable answer, Ken. LOL I'm thinking that if I reach the point where I'm barely mobile and need assistance with basic needs, maybe I'll consider myself elderly. Or maybe not. I'll think about it if and when it happens. LOL
Dunno. On a personal basis, maybe it sort of depends on how much respect a person commands. Elderly sort of sounds like someone who has some wisdom and knowledge in the mix of growing with age. That said, old doesn’t necessarily fall too far from an adjective of endearment especially when a compliment is thrown in with it. Such as a compliment overheard by me in reference to me at the gym: That old man is ripped! On the other hand, old rhymes with mold so maybe elderly is a tad better and I have to face the facts: from may first day of birth, I have always been someone’s elder.
I will be elderly when I reach 90 or am unable to ride motorcycles, whichever comes first and providing it make it to either. I can't speak for others but think you reach 'elderliness' when your normal life activities become unavailable to you (e.g., driving, clearing snow, cleaning, cooking, going to the store, etc.).
Some people seem elderly at 50, while others are 90 and still going strong. I suppose elderly is just "older than me."
I'm 75. It depends on what time of the day it is. Early morning? I'm elderly. Late at night? Again, elderly. Middle of the day? There's life yet in the senior citizeness.
Call me elderly? Then let's arm wrestle I'm 73 and can still take down the 30 somethings Talk to me in twenty years
I don’t think of myself as old …I recently turned 77 I can walk 5 Km without stopping …2 weeks ago we attended 3 different ballroom dancing venues in one week (social ballroom dancing ) we danced a total of 9 hours in total for 3 different venues ..mind you I don’t mind admitting I was totally pooped for a week latter ….. ….as we’d danced vey little in the previous 6 months or so due to the venues being closed on and off due to Covid cases attending I recently had a treadmill ( stress test) cardiologist test ….and I did what they expect a 42 year old to do So I’m I old …no way …
My docs tell me I’m doing very well, for whatever that’s worth. However, I don’t feel like it and probably because I’ve fallen so far. I used to lift, run, bike, did martial arts for about 17 years. A number of times I was in just fantastic shape. Compared to then, yes, I feel elderly (I’m soon to be 75).
I am sad I can't work horses any more. I can't move fast enough. But I am mean and if I need to do something, I WiLL find a way. It will take a while longer and I may get heat stroke a few times, like last year, clearing thistles from my acreage. but it will get done. Mostly people don't want to wait for me to accomplish stuff, like crossing the parking lot so they offer to do stuff for me. Sometimes I let them. But when I get to feeling pitiful, I go downstairs, pop in a movie and work out. The first few minutes are hard but then I can keep going forever. I can't skip it. that is when I actually get pitiful. (elderly)
My hubby is the same age as you...turning 75 in December. He's always been very active...used to go on long walks, pump a bit of iron and tackle home renovations, including painting, laying floors, etc., up until last year. He's just now feeling the effects of getting older. He has chronic tendonitis in one arm, some back pain, and needs naps more often during the day. He's not happy about having to slow down; he grumbles about sometimes, but knows it's inevitable. It's difficult to accept that you can't do all things you used to do. As my mother always said, "Getting old isn't for sissies."
Good for you, Mary. Seems like you're determined to not let aging get you down. I've come to realize that it's so important to do something active every day. If I don't, I seize up. I go for walks, do yoga stretches and dance for exercise. Most days I feel strong and vital. Some days, not so much if my degenerative disc disease is acting up.