Old Age-isms

Looking toward the January full moon 2025 through the branches of ironwood tree, dead when we moved here.

The subject is aging. Of course, reality--  life is about aging from birth. This, however, will look at old-age aging, what I know about it and do not. To be honest, I have not thought a great deal about it until recently, when I entered my 80s. Now, that is for 'real' old age. How has it impacted me and what do I accept or try to change?

I think the most beautiful women in every sense are those who shrug off their beauty like an old cardigan and get stuck into stuff that really matters.  Liz Jones

 To me, that quote would also fits with aging. When we get old, which I don't believe happens to us at the same time, we have to both accept it and shrug it off. This business of saying, as some do, I am still a child, means that person is trying to miss the section of life that they are actually living.

The problem has been how too many worship youth and attempt to hold onto it at any cost. When a celebrity like Brook Shields lets herself age naturally with, of course, some lotions and potions, but no surgeries, people try to claim she's lost her looks. It encourages others to feel they need to go the cut and pull route. The talk of losing someone's looks begins in their 50s or even earlier. It is equated with old age.

Back in the day, I remember when I heard over the radio that Marilyn Monroe had died, I thought-- well, she was past her beauty prime anyway. She was 36... Of course, I was 18 at that time, an age of ignorance where it comes to what was life all about. I was just at the beginning of finding out.

If I am going to look at age for how we might appear to others, it would be one way, but what if I look at it for our own physical abilities? Well, actually that varies a lot too. If someone is a football hero, 35 is getting old and amazing if they can continue to play into their 40s. Baseball is a little more forgiving of 'old age' except, 40 is not remotely old age.

 

wolf full moon

I began to increasingly lose some of my physical capabilities in my 70s, but just saw Dick VanDyke doing some dance steps at almost 100. He though was not average when he was young if you've seen his performances back then. I did a lot of hiking through my 60s and into early 70s, but today, I don't do any. Is that because I couldn't or that I don't care to? I don't know the answer to that but do feel I've found other things I care more about doing-- like writing.

There are plenty of should do's in my life today but am happy they aren't about mental capacities. Those are still pretty good and for that I am grateful and realize it may not stay that way through my 80s. I haven't worked to stay agile. I still remember my mother-in-law sitting cross legged on the floor when in her late 80s, but she was already losing mental capacities. How much of that is genetics?  What we don't use, we lose. Opps-for me, not hiking.

What about pain? Do us old folks have more pain than younguns? I guess it would depend again on the person. I've had pain all of my adult life for various reasons but nothing catastrophic. Today, I might have more joint pain or in my back, but some I've had in much younger years. I never thought I had arthritis but maybe I will get it. That's the scary part to me of hitting 80, so much more can go wrong. Lots of deep breaths *s*

One thing that I do think relates to growing old, is typical of many elders, is forgetfulness. It comes around many things I always knew and suddenly can't call up when I need the information. For instance in the plant world, hawthorns, which we have at the farm, and i could be looking right at one and not be able to pull up its name. Usually it comes back to me later. If not, the internet is a huge help.

Because my family has familial tremors, which I know runs in families, as could some other things that have challenged me as an old woman. Those tremors might play a role in my lack of stability. When I need to turn from where I might be standing, say at a window, as a young woman I'd have just turned and left; now I reestablish myself before I start to walk. I do not want to fall. I have taken more than a few in my life, some when much younger and more carefree about walking. The thing is, elders end up with more injuries with a fall, sometimes a broken hip requiring major surgery. As for my feeling less stable, I am not going to explore that with a therapist as I actually am okay with the peace I have made with my limitations.

Are we less strong as old folks? It seems logical to be so. We see it in animals of all sorts. We can maybe postpone some of that with the right exercises, but all of it? I doubt it. The body wears out. Vaya con Dios and accept what is. Do what we can do, but accept we can't change it all. I do not believe that is fatalistic. I think it's realistic.

But was I as okay with appearing really elderly when I looked in a mirror or saw a current photo!!! I might have to accept that as reality, but can I do anything about it without major face lifts or Botox, which I have rejected?  

While I might not have a definitive answer, I have recently been thinking about that subject, and been personally trying a few things; hence, it will be the blog next week, at least so far as women are concerned. I think our culture is far more willing to see old men as handsome, more so than old women, can we even see ourselves as beautiful?

 Why all the photos of the full moon and our old ironwood tree? To me, they represent old age, one that won't last and one that at least has always been there. I don't want photos of all the full moons, but always want some, if we can get them, of the Wolf Moon. Ranch Boss used our Canon and a tripod to get these. It's been a month, so far, for photos.