I find myself saying this out loud or to myself more and more lately. The aches and pains—minor at this point, thank goodness—and occasional loss of the exact word I’m looking for aside, being older definitely has its advantages. I am happy that I’ve successfully aged past the years of being a responsible, fully employed adult, and into blissful, often irresponsible, and less-than-productive retirement.
In no particular order, here are just a few reasons I celebrate being old:
- I am grateful that I grew up without the scourge of social media. I didn’t have to worry about getting likes, the latest social media trend, or that something dumb I did would be captured on video and go viral.
- I’m not overly concerned about what others think of me. That doesn’t mean that I don’t consider others or don’t want to be liked; I just don’t lose sleep worrying about someone else’s opinion of me.
- I am concerned about the state of my country and the world, including social justice and the impact of climate change. I do what I can to support the causes I believe in but, at my age, I’m somewhat insulated and will probably be gone before things get too bad. I hope the younger generations are smarter than we were.
- I’m happy with my tribe of peers. I find myself surrounded by thoughtful, intelligent, engaged, interesting friends. I’ve known some since I was very young, and others have been more recent additions. All are treasures.
- AI wasn’t a thing when I was young. While I was working, most jobs were performed by actual human beings. At no time during my career was I concerned about being replaced by a computer program. I don’t think anyone really knows where AI will lead us, but I know several younger workers who are worried.
- My husband and I recently got the latest COVID booster. Being over 65 means that we are “privileged” to be in the approved group. Also, because I grew up when I did, I received all the vaccines available as a child.
- The elementary, junior high, and high schools I attended weren’t surrounded by barricades. I didn’t have to worry that my life was an acceptable cost of protecting the right of others to arm themselves with AK-47s.
- Of course, the best part of growing old is the privilege of being old. Not everyone is so lucky. That I successfully dodged the consequences of more than a few stupid decisions, survived a couple of serious health challenges, and managed to make it this far is a bit of a miracle.
How about you? Are you happy to be the age you are, or would you like to time travel to a different age? If you are older like me, what benefits are you enjoying?
Copyright © 2025 RetirementallyChallenged.com – All rights reserved.
Discover more from Retirementally Challenged
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Retirementally Challenged 
I imagine that every generation thinks itself the best. After all, they’ve never lived in any other. I do think that we are lucky. Able to dabble with technology but not being responsible for where it might lead. Not having to be perfect parents and breadwinners at the same time. Life in every age is different. Do I wish to be old? No! My body is not the temple it might once have been, and is more than capable of letting me down. But I am where I am, and mostly accept it with a good grace. I haven’t lost a son or a parent to war. I’m part of a privileged generation. Would that our youngsters can find a better way to go forward. It is their world xx
I don’t think my generation is the best but I do think that the younger generations are faced with challenges we never had to deal with. I’d love to have my current self-awareness in a younger body but that probably won’t happen so I will appreciate all that I have and try to do what I can to not mess things up too much for those we are passing the world to.
Have a wonderful holiday, Jo!
Like you, I am happy being the age I am and happy I got to be this age in the time frame I did!
I am actually quite comfortable with what AI will be able to do because I have spent quite a bit of time finding out what AI is not able to do. I see a change in what skill sets people will need in the future and I see the return of the hands on skill sets that have not been valued for a few decades! (Three cheers for the carpenters, plumbers, electricians and truck drivers!)
I’m so happy that you are quite comfortable with AI. I love it for what it does well for good (I follow a couple of truly amazing AI artists on Instagram), and fear it for what it does well for evil (deep fakes, etc.). Just like we couldn’t have perfectly predicted our future world 50 years ago, who knows what wonderous inventions and discoveries will be introduced in the next 50 years. Although it’s good to be old, I wouldn’t mind doing a little time traveling to see what the future looks like when I’m gone.
I think AI will fool the gullible. Nothing new about that, is there!? “If it is too good to be true…”
I absolutely agree with everything you said, Janis. I frequently reflect on how lucky I was to have been born when I was and where I was.
I feel like I was born right at the crossroads of “before” and “after”. I can be amazed by the wonderful aspects of technology, and simultaneously horrified by its negative impacts.
Oh, Shelley, I love “the crossroads of before and after.” Like you, I plan to stay healthy enough to live well into the future to see what’s over the horizon. Hopefully it will be less negative and more wonderful. 😎
Well put. I agree with everything you have to say. I recently joined a figure drawing group and many of the other ladies (also old like me) delight in letting their imaginations run wild – no longer shackled by the need to get the proportions correct or capture a likeness. Their work is just amazing! Of course none of us need to worry about supporting ourselves via our art. We’re just out to be creative. It is a great feeling1
That is such a great example! I think attaining a certain age gives us a lot of freedom to explore different sides of ourselves. I can imagine the joy and energy generated in a room of women who no longer feel the need to restrain their creativity. How fun!
Hi Janis, Wow, your post helps me reflect on many of the reasons I enjoy getting older, especially the priceless gift of friends. “Our” blogging friend’s photo has made the rounds over the years. It always makes me smile. The concept of AI is brought up by magazine editors (in Canada?) as a huge no/no and they will not accept anything when AI has been used – it will be interesting to watch where things go from here. And, yes, the concept of surviving some early ‘adventures’ – egad, and grateful. Enjoy the holiday season with your loved ones. xo 💕Erica
Hi Erica! AI-written articles and – even worse in my view – school essays is a really big problem. One of my favorite professor/lecturer, is retiring from his college teaching position partly due to his frustration dealing with that. I fully support the magazine editors’ position but, unfortunately, I think AI-written articles will be harder and harder to detect. Wouldn’t it be nice if people were honest?
I love that picture of all of us. Even though not everyone is still blogging, I still consider all of you forever friends.
Have a great holiday season too! 💕
Hi Janis – yes, re AI written, yet also any AI editing/formatting and so on – repurcussions and problematic – A great post, Janis, as always! 💕
I am delighted to have lived this long. I can do anything I want, within reason. Eating things that I love whenever I please is a winner. I’m free to spend time with family and friends, limited only by their availability and distance. I haven’t had surgery in 11 years, having already gotten rid of many expendable body parts. Guess I glossed over the removal of cataracts. One was a life-changing event. I’m now out of the main stream and floating merrily along. My purpose is to pray for people and help them whenever I can. I have been greatly blessed.
I love what you wrote, Anne! Getting older definitely has its advantages and you listed several of them. I also had cataract surgery and am so happy with the outcome. Colors POP in ways that hadn’t for years. You have been blessed, and the people who know you are blessed too. Have a wonderful holiday!
Merry Christmas!
I enjoy the same things you do. I was going to say that I enjoyed all the free time then I looked at my calendar and saw a week full of doctor appointments (follow ups or checkups, nothing serious). Somehow they always fall in the same time frame. It’s just great to be untethered (except for doc apts!). We grew up in a great time. Nothing we did was permanent and I never worried about being killed.
It is crazy how quickly our calendars fill up! Just today, I was looking at a fairly free week then BOOM, three things on one day. I’m not whining though (too much), I value the free time I have… and I seem to fill it up nicely.
Sometimes it fills up too fast!
I’m just as glad as you that I’m moving through aging and wouldn’t want to go back at all Janis. I admit I quite like having the internet but all this other tech often seems to cause more issues than benefits. I am also pretty proud of the wisdom gained that I can pass on to others, sometimes when they don’t even know they need it 😉
Haha! It’s important to pass on that wisdom!
I’m always surprised when I see the year some modern technologies were introduced. We have assimilated them into our lives so quickly it can feel that they have “always” been around. I also appreciate the internet… and I also realize that I know just a teeny tiny bit about it.
I guess it depends on the “old”. My Mom is 99 and life is pretty restricting for her. But “old” and in good health like my 99 year old mother-in-law was would be ok. But keeping fit and active as we age definitely makes it easier. Like you I appreciate this age and the good aspects of it.
My perspective was absolutely written by someone in (for my age 😊) good mental and physical health. I am pretty sure there will be struggles ahead. I do fear for future generations as they deal with the challenges we’ve left them.
Our GP called us youngsters today! So much depends on perspective.
And I glossed right over all the downsides to being a child today. I fear for the world they are set to inherit.
I don’t have grandchildren like you do Bernie. I guess the best we can do is support the raising of good, strong, kind humans.
That is the best we can do.
You’ve shared some great nuggets of wisdom of only someone who has lived, worked and retired gracefully. Every generation has their unique perspective in how life should be lived. Regarding AI, I was relieved when I made the decision at 60 to end my teaching days and not pursue teaching in Washington. But I enjoy AI tools used in moderation.
I loved your point about not having to deal with social media in our teenage years. We are constantly inundated now with information every second whether we wanted to know it or not. The best part about being over 65 is having the ability to slow down by our choice and no one really cares. Living in rural Eastern Washington is like Heaven. A naturally impatient person like me needs the slower pace. Enjoy your holiday season, Janis!
AI is a mixed bag for sure. I also use it here and there for certain tasks and find it helpful. I wouldn’t want to be a teacher now, though, and have to manage its use by my students.
We have several schools fairly close to us and I see so many of the kids glued to their phones, even when they are walking in groups. I remember walking to and from school with my “posse” and enjoying the friendships and banter. Certainly each generation lives life differently and are headed for a different future but that strikes me as sad. I also worry about what they are consuming while on social media.
Happy holidays to you too, Terri!
I’m happy to be the age I am (and in 13 months will get Medicare—yay!). All generations for the past few hundred years have dealt with tremendous changes in technology, good and bad (bad being weapons of war, of course). But I’m glad I was free to roam as a child and indulge my curiosity. My free time wasn’t filled with a ton of extracurricular obligations, just band. I’d love to have fewer aches and pains, but just the wonder of still being here and functioning pretty well is a blessing. And I do feel that I’m still learning much about life and the world, which makes me very happy!
It sounds like you are in a good place too. Continuing to learn is key and, fortunately, there are tons of educational opportunities, both in-person and online. Many are free too… how great is that?
Medicare was a welcomed milestone for me also. It takes a lot of the worry about our messed up healthcare system (I hope).
Wow, you read my mind. My friends and I discuss how we likely have only a short time until we leave this planet so hopefully avoid it going from dismal to worse. i feel for my friends who contemplate leaving their children with decades more of these devastating shenanigans. I think if I graduated these days with my fancy college degree I’d be jobless as all those entry level opportunities are now handled by AI. Perhaps I would be pouring drinks at a bar as AI and robotics haven’t taken over those kind of jobs….yet.
The working world that new high school and college graduates are facing today is completely different from what I experienced. I was just competing against other Baby Boomers. They not only have human competition but AI competition too. I can imagine that a fairly “safe” degree that a student started to pursue when they began college might not be as safe when they left. I’m not so sure those bartender jobs are even safe from robots. Yipes!
I agree with everything you mentioned. We didn’t have the stresses of today’s world. Life without social media and AI and barricades around our schools was pretty damn good. I thoroughly enjoy my age. I love having so much control over how I spend my time and who I spend it with. And like you, I make choices that I feel are good for the planet. I do my best, which is all I can do in that department. Then I try to enjoy the little things as much as the bigger things because life is made up of a whole lot of little things. They are to important to ignore.
Many of the younger generations are dealing with challenges we didn’t have. Like every generation, I’m sure they will carve their own path, but some of the obstacles are enormous. I was so sad when I saw those fences going up around that elementary school. Can you imagine being 8 or 10 and seeing that physical reminder that your life could be in danger?
Keep enjoying all those little things that make life so wonderous!
Love your list. I love too reading something positive about aging — especially since we can’t stop time or go back! Ha ha.
You are so right… we can’t go back. I’d love a younger, healthier body but not at the expense of my current life of freedom and relative little stress.
Like you, I’m happy having the privilege of being old, and not having all my mistakes and shortcomings blasted to the world. This is definitely a great age. I love your post, Janis.
Can you imagine if there was some video somewhere with snippets of all the dumb things we did or said? Yikes! (That reminds me of the early 90s movie, “Defending Your Life” with Meryl Streep and Albert Brooks.) Fortunately, we didn’t have to worry about that when we were young.
I never saw it, but I just watched the trailer. It looks cute. Yes, I’m glad my blunders weren’t on social media. My dad was a photographer. That was bad enough. 🙂 xxx
I agree with every point. I don’t remember a single school shooting in all my many years of schooling. I never worried about being killed in my classroom. We probably had more stresses about some things yet nothing like what younger people deal with now.
I’m sure we had stresses too but time has erased most of them from my memory, which is a good thing. I agree that kids today have more challenges and are maybe less optimistic about the future than we were.
I hope to live long enough to see our nation restored to something like I’ve known most of my life. It saddens me to ponder the world we seem determined to leave to the younger generations (like my 19- and 22-year-old grandkids). Not to mention global warming. I feel privileged to have lived through some really great decades and hope maybe my son and grandkids will experience something similar.
Yes! I would love to see that too. I don’t have grandkids but I worry about how they will deal with all the issues our generation is leaving them. We can’t keep kicking the can down the road hoping someone else will take care of the problems. I’ve met some pretty smart young adults that give me a lot of hope!
I gave up make-up when I retired. I inteded to apply some when going out – and for a while, I did. But, who am I kidding? It’s too late to hide imperfections an there’s no point clogging the wrinkles. And it’s so good to be able to rub tired eyes without worrying about mascara running.
I have joined a couple of groups to make me go out occasionally (other than shopping and baby-sitting) but the days I look forward to most are the ones I have to myself and my dogs.
I feel much the same way about make-up. It has to be a pretty big deal for me to wear it (and I wonder if anyone notices anyway). It’s sort of counterintuitive, but another good thing about getting older is that we do become sort of invisible… which is a form of freedom.
Hi Janis
I worked most of my life in research programmes, and it’s a pity that we didn’t have AI then. I have been retired for nearly 20 years now, and I enjoy playing with AI and other sophisticated programmes just for fun. I don’t need to succeed anymore or be more intelligent than my colleagues. I am just enjoying my home and my library. I don’t need to travel around, but can stay in my cosy home and enjoy life.
The biggest advantage of being old: One usually has enough money to spend and has learned a lot. That’s the ideal combination.
Klausbernd 🙂
If I was still doing the work I did before I retired, I imagine that I’d use AI here and there too. Like you, now I just use it for fun or to help me do things like plan travel. I enjoy my current life and don’t need a lot to make myself happy. I am definitely in a sweet spot of life.
Thought provoking post and comments. I’m older than you, in good health, but each year tends to affect the seasoned body a little more, and I have to come up with out of the box ideas to get the same thing accomplished. I also have other family responsibilities that need to be prioritized. I’d have no desire to venture back to my younger self, but I wouldn’t be opposed to maybe shaving off five or so years. 🙂
Aging sort of sneaks up on us, doesn’t it? We make little compensations for ourselves that we hardly notice since it’s happened over time. If you discover a way to shave off those five years (that doesn’t involve plastic surgery 🙃) let me know!
I’m content with the age I am. Though I would like a few less creaky joints…
Fewer creaky joints and a brain that doesn’t lose nouns at embarrassing moments. 🫤
Yes! The thing I like most about your observations is that they aren’t extolling the praises about the (fictional) ‘good old days’. Our generation is not the best or worst – just part of life’s continuim. The hardest part for me when I turned 70 in 2024 was the stark reality of a hugely shorter timeline in which to do all I know I need/want/am meant to do! One year later, it’s more of a firm but gentle prod to stay focused on all things worthy of my time & energy! “Hear. Me (us). Roar.”!
peace, sister! 😉
Yeah, those “good ole days” weren’t all that rosy, certainly not for everyone. I’m almost at that milestone myself and it’s starting to hit me that time is growing shorter and shorter. Time to choose which “some day” plans need to be let go of and which I need to get going on to accomplish. Peace to you also, Laura.
What a good list of things to appreciate about aging! I love the wisdom and perspective we develop as we age and wouldn’t give that up for anything. The news is a source of anxiety that my age helps me to better deal with. Also, I feel hopeful, as bad as some things are these days, that we will right the course again. I’m not sure what I would do without my California high school buddies. We routinely group chat and it’s wonderful.
I am glad that you feel hopeful about the future… I vacillate from day to day but I’m cautiously optimistic too.
I love having life-long friends. Not only do we have a shared history, but because we are of a similar age, we are experiencing similar life events now too.
Have a wonderful holiday season, Tracey!
Hi Janis,
I recently reached a milestone age and I didn’t feel bad or sad about it. Mark even asked “Do you feel good about 50? It’s only downhill from here…” But I have no regrets and am happy with my current age.
I might be a few years younger than you, but almost all your remarks are valid for me too, including the painful joints, forgetting words, and “withering” body, except for the being retired part. AI is affecting my freelance jobs, but the tasks are mostly redefined because of it.
50? You are just a baby! That is interesting that AI is impacting your work. Hopefully it can’t replace you completely. I guess anyone wanting a translation to a language they didn’t know would be foolish to trust what AI produced.
Have a good holiday season, Liesbet. Big adventures lay ahead in the New Year!
I’m also glad I grew up in the time I did and had so much more freedom to be outdoors without my parents hovering. I just had to be home when my Dad got home from work.
Next year will be the last year in my 60’s and I just want to go, go, go! I want to do all the things while my body still works. I’m enjoying my old age and the freedom retirement brings. I just wish there was more time and money to do all the things. 😊
Recent studies have shown that older people are much happier than younger ones in general. I think the freedom we have has a lot to do with that. Even if we don’t have the money we’d like, we are happy living our lives on our terms.
I feel much the same way – I am very content with the age I am now and the freedom (which I recognise is privilege compared to some parts of the world) to reinvent myself now I don’t have to earn a living. I would like to have had my current confidence and wisdom (?) when younger but it’s something you have to learn. The only thing you mention that young people here don’t have so much is the need to lock down schools against gun violence, although security has certainly changed a lot since my youth.
I try never to lose sight of the privilege I enjoy. I love the freedom and confidence that comes with being around for a while and plan to take advantage of this sweet spot of life for as long as I can.
It is shocking how many of our schools have become fortresses against looneys with a gun. It’s one of the many things about modern life here that makes me grateful to have grown up when I did.
I am 63 and am perfectly happy with my age. So far, age has never been much of a thing for me. (Except for a brief period of “Sixty? How did I get to be sixty?”)
I think your description of “blissful, often irresponsible, and less-than-productive retirement” is perfect.
Yah, those milestone birthdays can be pretty shocking! Then, the day passes and life goes on. The key is to stay happy and engaged for as long as we can.
Love this post! I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. There’s definitely a certain freedom that comes with getting older- not caring so much what people think is a big one for me. Reading this while I wait for the carpet cleaners to finish up. It’s funny, even something as mundane as getting your carpets cleaned feels more satisfying now, like I’ve earned this quiet time. Thanks for sharing
I love my freedom and quiet time so much! I also love clean carpets so I just put that on my early 2026 to-do list. 😊
Hi Janis, getting older certainly presents challenges, but I am grateful for the opportunity. The advancement of technology, AI in particular, is akin to having a colonoscopy for our age group – a necessary evil. But the more we understand it, the less we fear. Some days I wonder how elderly folk function in this rapidly changing world, and then I remember I am one of those folks. That’s when I remind myself to slow down, stop yelling “Representative, Please” into the phone, and just press 1. We will get through it, and if we hold onto hope (and our sanity), we might actually thrive. Wonderful post. Lots to think about.
Wait… yelling “Representative!!!” doesn’t work?
I don’t think either of us has reached the “elderly” stage, which is always at least 20 years older than my current age. You are right about AI. It is here whether we like it or not so we should learn how to use it in ways that benefit us.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday. Let’s all strive to thrive in the new year.
Janis, I second everything you said about the era that we grew up in. I know we are the same age. There have been times I would have liked to be a teenager or young adult in the 50s, because I feel it would have been fun and also less turbulent times than the various activities going on in the late 60s/early 70s, even though I was not a part of any of them.
I also worry about the future and, because I have never had children and their futures to be concerned about, I worry about the planet and what will happen years from now. Unlike you, who has a circle of friends you’ve known all your life, I have lost contact with most of my friends, except a few high school friends that I still keep in touch with through Facebook. I had lost contact with them as they married and moved to other states because of their husband’s employment, but Facebook’s algorithms helped discover them. I don’t have any serious health problems and have always been grateful for my good health which I hope will continue. Two friends my age lost their husbands suddenly – it sure gives you cause to pause.
Despite all of Facebook’s downsides, it does help us keep in touch with – or find again – people we know. I don’t post much myself but I enjoy getting updates from others.
We have reached the age that we will experience losses more and more. Most of us have lost our parents, now we are starting to lose people we know who are closer to our age. It really makes us appreciate our health and our connections even more.
Yes, that is one good thing about Facebook. I don’t post at all, but I follow a lot of different sites pertaining to nature or news/weather and connect with a few close friends from high school as well as a few bloggers. Our health is very important – if you don’t take care of yourself, those golden years you dreamed about during your entire work life will be gone before you even enjoyed them.
Those are some excellent points and make me feel better about being old, arthritic and wrinkly! Thank you!
Hi Ann. Those darn wrinkles have suddenly come out of nowhere. Although I don’t wish to be young again, I would like to go back in time and admonish my younger self to slather on the sunscreen!
Like you, I’m so glad that I grew up before the world of social media. Children don’t seem to have fun anymore, not like we did back in the 1970s. Back then, you had to go out to play, not sit indoors looking at a screen all day, worrying about stuff that no kid should ever have to worry about.
As for AI, I use some of its tools, just like I did when spellcheckers and calculators came along. The world is constantly changing, but thankfully, I was a child during what I considered a great time to be one, even though there were some dark times, like being bullied.
I don’t have kids but I am concerned about all the screen time they spend their young lives watching. Even though their future world will be different than ours, people still need exercise and IRL human connections.
There is a lot of good that can come from AI and I agree that it can be a very useful tool. I worry about the fake imagery that is created to influence people, but I guess there has always been false information designed to fool (it’s just so much better now).
I wouldn’t be surprised if, in the future, people pay for human contact. There will be bars where phones and tablets are not allowed, but you’ll have to pay an entry fee. Who knows, you may also be charged by the word.
Scams have always been around, but I agree that AI has made it a lot easier for scammers. However, the rise of mobile phones, tablets, and computers has helped dishonest people steal money from older people, especially. When you think about how long romance scams have been around, it’s so sad to see that people still fall victim to them.
Your human contact bar sounds like a great plot for a short story!
Hi Janis! Definitely happy to be old! It sort of sneaks up on you doesn’t it? We started writing about being middle-aged (I think you started about the same time I did?) and here we are now! This “view” is certainly different isn’t it? Yet like you say, there are many advantages, we just have to look for them. I hope you and Paul are doing well and happy. We should connect soon and catch up! Happy holidays and hope to chat soon. ~Kathy
When I was young I don’t think I thought very much about getting old. If I had, I’m sure I would have seen it as a negative. Now, many of us are realizing how great it can be to have the freedom, confidence, and wisdom that comes with age.
Yes, let’s chat soon!
I too am glad to have missed the mobile phone and social media when in high school. I enjoyed hanging out with my friends in person at different activities or on a weekend night on the school parking lot. I’m sure it is totally different these day.
Retirement Coffee Shop
https://retirementcoffeeshop.blogspot.com/
We have a high school fairly close by and the students surprise me in lots of ways… especially their apparent addiction to their on cell phones and their attire. I try to not be too judgmental (I’m sure we were judged a lot when we were young) but YIKES!
I’m very happy with having had the pleasure of continuing to grow older, many of us do not. A group of us were talking recently about how some people hate having a birthday but not me. 😊
Since we don’t have much choice and it truly is a privilege, we might as well find reasons to celebrate… and there are many!
I haven’t quite reached the “blissful, often irresponsible, and less-than-productive retirement” stage of old age yet, Janis, since I care for my 94-year-old dad, and it’s becoming a full time job, but oh I can relate to all that good stuff: old friends, my tribe, not caring what others think, good health, and having grown up without social media and gun violence. I had a lot of freedom as a kid to explore with my friends, without fear. I do feel sorry for today’s younger generations, and I hope there is still time to make the world a kinder place for them. Wishing you a lovely Christmas and a fabulous 2026.
So many of us are caring for our parents (both my parents are gone now) and it truly can be a full time job, with little time off. I hope you can find at least a little bit of that blissful, irresponsible, me-time.
I imagine that most older generations wondered what would become of the younger generations but the future seems like it will be especially challenging. I love the idea of working hard to make the world a kinder place for them. I hope we can.
Have a wonderful holiday, Diana!
❤ ❤ ❤
At this stage of our lives, especially during the Christmas Season, we need to rediscover the healing power of joy. Merry Christmas!
Absolutely, Peter! And, let’s redouble our efforts into the new year.
Best wishes to you for a wonderful Christmas!
Janis, For all your examples I felt myself nodding my head agreeing. Even with life’s challenges (which we all have), I can agree it’s good to be old. I actually do not know how I would have dealt with this past year if I was younger. I think I need to enjoy my oldness more!
I recently took a class on “An Introduction to AI in work and life”. It was fascinating as it discussed the risks associated with it as well as the current and potential benefits. It’s a technology that will change life in so many ways, requiring new sets of skills. I’m certainly not an early adopter, but I’m hoping to use it on a couple of projects next year – one is designing my new landscaping. It certainly can’t be any worse that my last landscaper who planted sun-needing plants on the northern house exposure. (That was before I knew anything about Florida plants).
I’d like to learn more about AI too, both to use it where it can benefit me and to better understand the technology in general. I feel bad for those who are in professions that could be negatively impacted but I’m afraid that train has already left the station. We all need to learn how to use it for good and gaurd against those who use it for evil.
Your former landscaper sounds like he/she needs to go back to school. I’m sure you and AI can do much better. 😎
Amen to the no cell phones, social media, AI, and school fences. You have perhaps two decades on me, but I thankfully survived those bullets too. The part about not caring so much what others think of you was a discovery I made around age 30, and it was a blissful one at that. When I think about being younger, I sort of shudder. I wouldn’t want to have to go through all of that life over again to get where I am today.
It must be interesting as a parent to watch your kids navigate their way through their young lives. It would be great if they could learn from our mistakes and flashes of wisdom but they often have to find out for themselves. I wonder if many/most of the professions we aspired to when we went to school will be nonexistent or radically changed when they are in the job world?
I fear most for artists. Someone was going to hire my daughter to illustrate a children’s book. Then he changed his mind saying an AI program could do it. 😦
Ouch, I’m sorry to hear that. A neighbor’s daughter is quite an accomplished graphic designer and I worry about her career. Human designed artwork is so much better but comes at a price some people aren’t willing to pay. Sad.
I agree, sad. I hope, at a certain point, people will get so tired of seeing fake images there will be a renewal of interest in the real deal.
Great post. I’m grateful for some aspects of aging as well, although I haven’t achieved the coveted retirement yet. As a teacher in an elementary school, I’m horrified by that fencing, and more to the point, by the need for that fencing. One of my biggest hopes is that the Husband and I can finish out our teaching careers without ever being involved in a school shooting incident.
It’s crazy that our society somehow thinks barricades and fear are an acceptable tradeoff. Kids and their teachers shouldn’t have to think about things like that.
Very well said, Janis. I echo your sentiments, pretty much exactly. No surprises there – I think all of us of a similar vintage are grateful for the lack of social media and AI while growing up AND for getting all the shots 😉. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Deb
They are currently experiencing a big measles outbreak in South Carolina. If only there was some sort of a magical shot we could get that would protect ourselves…
I hope you are having a great holiday season, Deb!
We have a measles outbreak in the province of Alberta, which has a maple maga government in place. Weird coincidence, eh? 😏 Like you said, if only there was some magical shot!!! Happy holidays, Janis 🎄💕
I love your perspective on life and aging. And I agree with pretty much all of your points. Honestly, I never expected to feel this way, but nearly every day I hear or read about something that makes me so glad that I haven’t got decades of years in front of me. (I hope.) I still love my life, but I won’t be sad to go because of the very changes you list. AI, heck, I remember when my biggest concern was that I would inadvertently plagiarize something. Now I hope I don’t parrot AI that I failed to recognize.
Although I’m happy to have grown up when I did and, because of that, my young self didn’t have to deal with the challenges kids face today, a little part of me would like to look into the future to see where it all goes. It is crazy how plagiarism once was universally condemned but now it’s seen as less of a big deal. Teachers have it hard enough without having to guard against students using AL to write their papers for them.
I treasure the experience of having lived through what I have, and I am happy where I am. You raise some very good points about the differences between the times we grew up in and today’s world. Still, I think people who entered this world with the foundation of today’s technology well established are better prepared to deal with the changes going on around us. When you consider the changes we lived through, we covered a lot of ground.
You make a really good point! What I may see as concerning and perhaps having negative outcomes, the younger generations are better able to navigate. Although I don’t consider myself too techie, I use a lot of technologies my parents had no clue about without giving it a second thought (until it fails… 😱). We did live through a lot and came out pretty good for the most part. I’d like to think the world will be in goods hands when we exit stage right.
Have a wonderful Christmas, Dan!
I think it will be. Have a wonderful Christmas, Janis.
I like everything about this post. I’m in your age bracket, and I am happy that life moves at a different pace for me now. Those days of keeping up with the kids and all their activities was exhausting. I’m able to look with optimism at the young adults who are starting to take on big responsibilities. I love being a cheerleader and encourager.
Being a cheerleader and encourager is fun! We are leaving a world with a lot of challenges but there is a lot of good too. I also think there is much to be optimistic about.
Those are great reasons to be grateful. We are lucky to have survived so long. The aches and pains are more frequent and more intense but there is so much to be thankful for.
I think it’s important to remind ourselves of the goods things that are happening in our lives. I agree that there is much to celebrate. Enjoy your holiday!
Wow – you really wrote a post that so many of us related to. Great title, too. :–) Weirdly, I’m not old yet, though the calendar says I’ll turn 74 in March (don’t worry, I don’t believe it). I keep doing the math on my fingers and decided the math still doesn’t work. I never have enough time in the day, how can that be? I work part time teaching my own creative writing classes, I blog (though less frequently these days), I’m a care partner for my husband (who IS feeling his age), and I still dance like a crazy person in Zumba. But as I watch my adult children parent their teen kids, I feel so relieved that the date I was born meant I didn’t have to raise children with social media and Facebook and cell phones. Oh, how much more enjoyable parenting was back then.
Sometimes I vacillate between embracing “old” and assuring myself that the description won’t be valid until years (and years) into the future. I do know for sure that I’m not “young” and I’m okay with that. I’d love the extra energy I had in my youth but I do feel grateful to have evolved beyond the angst and self-questioning.
I wouldn’t want to be a parent these days either. I know my parents had their worries about my two older brother and me (we all three turned out just fine 😊) but they didn’t have to concern themselves with the negatives of social media or us being glued to our screens.
Merry, merry!
I must add that a good friend of mine (a year younger and fit and looks a decade younger) reminds me (and herself) to accept our aging with grace and acceptance. I’m working on it!
I wanted to stop back by to wish you a happy new year. May it be a healthy and happy one.
Thank you, Karen! I wish you happiness and good health as well! I hope you have some fun travels and yummy culinary delights planned for the new year.