Helpful advice from a 74 year old...

[myohmy2]

...I'm going to offer my fellow seniors some helpful advice...

1) don't try to look young, it doesn't work...at best it comes off looking like, 'putting lipstick on a pig'...don't dress 'young' or groom 'young' and try to act your age...

2) don't be scary or offensive...shave/shower regularly, trim those nose/ear hairs, get adult haircuts and do something with those out-of-control bushy eyebrows...and by the way, your 3-day-old clothes are not clean no matter what your nose might be telling you...

3) if you're over 65 and you've put on perfume or cologne and you can smell it, you've put on way too much...you're gagging people around you...

4) at home, in your car or on a bicycle, don't BLAST YOUR 60's MUSIC...nobody wants to hear it...even I don't want to hear it...

5) don't tell old stories from the past...most people have no reference...just because nothing's basically changed in your life during the last 30 years is no reason to bore people to death...

6) don't offer dated 'expert' advice on anything, it's Out Of Date Advice...just because your advice is very familiar to you it's probably meaningless or useless to others...

7) when you travel by foot or by car, try to act like you're actually going someplace 'today'...taking 15 minutes to navigate a store's entrance is unacceptable...use Amazon...

8) don't get angry or hostile with inanimate objects...they do not hate you...they are not out to get you...

9) don't keep repeating yourself...saying the same thing day after day and acting like you're saying something new is extremely tedious...people can only take so much before they puke...

10) last but not least, when asking someone for help, wait at least 10 minutes before asking again...


...all good advice...

[Ocelot II]

1. 11) Don't presume to tell others how they should dress, groom themselves, listen to music,

converse, or otherwise behave in public in ways that are not actually harming people.

[Croney]

8. +1

[highplainsdem]

9. +1,000,000,000

[meadowlander]

13. Yes, agree.

If you've made it to retirement age you've earned the right to do whatever the hell you want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else.

However,

12) Being old isn't a get out of jail free card for apologizing when you've actually been an asshole to someone. Feeling tired, grumpy, and in pain isn't an excuse to dump on the people who care about you and are trying to help you.

[slightlv]

40. I've had to apologize more than once

to my hubby because of being crabby because my pain levels were off the chart and he got on my last nerve. Still... wasn't any reason to pop off to him, I realized too late. But I DO turn around and apologize and explain why it happened. He's been to enough doctor's visits with me now, he tends to understand what's going on with my body now and is much more forgiving of me, thank goodness. Still... I don't take it (or him) for granted.

[Baked Potato]

14. Yep!

[enough]

42. You said it.

[Deuxcents]

2. All good advice..

[lastlib]

3. Strong disagreement on #8......

I just lose it when I get outsmarted by inanimate objects (and it happens ALL too frequently!)--they ARE out to get me!

[IjustDontlikeRepugs]

24. I have to agree.

I rarely get mad at people. But objects, I’ll take out my pent up wrath on them and not have to feel bad later for hurting their feelings.

[slightlv]

45. I made computers my career for over 40 years

There was nothing they could do I couldn't fix! I built them from pieces and parts. I built and tuned them for radio stations. I managed help desks. I've done everything except database programming. I've even done distance learning creation, both standalone and facilitated. But I swear, today's machines, especially those running on Windows 11, are out to frustrate me to no end!!!!

I recently took apart 3 non working computers and put together two working systems for a couple of grandsons. One was Win10, and one was XP. Gods, I fell back in love with XP. I swear, that was the best OS MS ever put out as far as ease of working in it goes. It was so intuitive. Win10 and 11, not intuitive at all. All scrunched up in security and still not good enough, I've got my system running Win10 and I'm loaded down with IOBit software to lock it down tight and keep it up to date and running well.

But my frustration level takes me from 0-10 in no seconds flat anymore. And I swear, I could throw a PC across the room and make a doorstop out of it faster than I could figure out why it won't boot up with the new stuff they've added to 'em these days! Grrrrr.... I used to be SOOO good, too!

[lastlib]

57. I feel your pain.

I used to be able to swap out motherboards with my eyes closed, and back in the days of the 386s, I could install hard drives without breaking a sweat (it was no cakewalk in those days before plug-n-play!) And yes, I loved XP--still run it on my Mom's machine (no internet connection, she doesn't do any of that, just writes letters and poems.) But I can't even fathom Win10!

[Kablooie]

4. if we're not supposed to dress young...

Why do they make senior diapers?

[beaglelover]

25. LOL! Good one!

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Ouch!

[Baked Potato]

6. My hair is down past my nipples,

I have huge lamb chop burns, and i blare all genres of music.

I wear tie dye a whole lot.

I often tell some craptastic stories.

Because IJDGAFF.

[Ocelot II]

18. Good for you. That's one of the up-sides of getting old - not giving a FF

if some rando disapproves because you're not dressing your age or you're wearing a ratty old Grateful Dead t-shirt or you didn't trim your nose hairs or you're listening to The Monkees on your car radio or you tell a stale joke for the tenth time or you take too long to count out your change at the grocery counter. You're old. You've lived long enough to deserve to be a little transgressive, and maybe you're getting a little forgetful and slow, and so what? Long as I'm planting daisies rather than pushing them up I'm not going to give the single teensiest fuck.

[Baked Potato]

27. Exactly my feelings!

🤛🏼✌🏼

[slightlv]

46. I live in T-Shirts that are either tribal motif,

tie-dyed, or have slogans on them like: I used to be a people person; but then people ruined it for me. It's really hard to dress "for my age" because I'm 4'9", 89 lbs. About the only thing I can buy IS kids clothes. My shoes ARE kids shoes! And I still have to have every pair of pants I buy hemmed up.

But I'm an old flowerchild. I've got two dashikis I love living in, but they're so threadworn, I need to buy some more cause you can now see through them! While that might have been okay 30 years ago, now that my boobs are down around my kneecaps, it ain't so cool now! (gryn)

[Baked Potato]

54. I hear you... Live and let live, you know...

Dashikis are so beautiful!

[llmart]

7. I take offense to some of these.

If seniors don't tell stories from the past then younger generations won't know what their grandparents' lives were like. What sort of stories should we be telling or should we just shut up and not have a voice?

Some seniors have mobility issues and yes, it may take them awhile to get through a door. Are those people supposed to just stay locked up in their houses all day? We've done that through Covid and it's not emotionally healthy.

And for me, I'll blast my Doobie Brothers in my own house if I damned well please!

[meadowlander]

17. I think context and applicability are key.

If you're telling a relevant story as part of an organic conversation that includes information that the young person needs to know, go for it.

If you, apropos of nothing, start offloading your graphic reminiscences about the time you napalmed a village in Vietnam over Thanksgiving turkey because you're drunk and oblivious to everyone around you that's something different.

[wnylib]

32. Your Thanksgiving example would apply to anybody

Last edited Sun Jul 10, 2022, 11:35 PM - Edit history (1)

of any age on any topic.

There was a time when society respected seniors and tolerated the fact that age takes some wear and tear on people. That's one reason why I enjoy visiting a city in NY that is on a Seneca Rez. They treat seniors with respect. Their main street is a highway that runs through town. Very busy and takes time to cross it. Cars will stop and wait for seniors to cross.

When I go there, I take a bus that has a regular daily run through several rural NY towns and back. Easier than driving, especially in winter. It gives me a couple hours to shop or stop in at the Seneca library or Cultural Center, all within walking distance from where I get off the bus. Can't count the number of times that a young Seneca person has offered to carry my packages for me. While waiting for the return bus to my city, I have been asked a number of times by people in a passing car if they can help me when they see me standing on a corner. I thank them and explain that I am waiting for a bus. A few times, they have remained until the bus arrived to make sure I was ok.

The simple civility and consideration is such a change from where I live that I really enjoy my Rez visits.

[Lochloosa]

10. I was waiting for my order at a restaurant the other day.

A group of young 18 year old or so kids were waiting also. They had all the usual dyed hair, funky clothes and attitude. I guess I was staring to much cause one asked if I was bothered by how they looked. Kind of a cocky kid. Liked him immediately. I laughed and told him I had been to 30 Dead shows, so no, I was just remembering my young days and how much fun it was. I was their hero from then on.

[Hortensis]

11. But by all means continue to vote informed and reliably. Without us, le deluge...!

Shouldn't be that way, but it is.

[Maraya1969]

12. I always yell at those self checkout machines. They keep saying the same damn thing.

"Please remove your package" "Please remove you package" etc etc etc


God shut up!!!

[slightlv]

49. I drive my husband crazy about those machines.

I won't use them as a matter of personal principle. Told him it was knocking checkers out of jobs. And besides, they want me to spend my money in their store, they can at least do me the courtesy of ringing the damn stuff up and putting it in bags... as well as helping me out to the car with it if I need it (and sometimes I do!). He just shakes his head, while I go out to the car to wait for him while he uses the damned machine.

[Maraya1969]

51. I used to refuse to use them too. But now there are more jobs than employees so

Plus I kind of like scanning and packing my things. It's kind of fun

[UpInArms]

15. Well, I don't know about you

But, I am 17 with wrinkles

[chowder66]

22. This is my favorite reply to anything ever!!

[UpInArms]

53. ...

That is what I tell everyone … age is inevitable, ageing is optional

[chowder66]

55. Love it!!

I've described aging as "a 20 something trapped in an aging carcass". I like yours better!

[lpbk2713]

16. Well damn.

I'd write that all down but I'd forget where I left the note.

[GenThePerservering]

19. Disagree

Kinda feel sorry for that 74 year old - they dress boring, haven't listened to any music since the 60s, haven't done anything new in 30 years, and apparently they've lost their mind because they keep repeating themselves.

This senior says - nah, I'm fine the way I am, thanks. If I offend you, feel free to look away.

[highplainsdem]

20. Try this instead: Take care of yourself. Stay healthy. Stay fit. Take

pride in looking as good as you can, whatever your age. Dress the way you choose -- you're old enough and smart enough not to let seasonal fashion or some TikTok trend dictate to you. Enjoy your favorite music, whatever era it's from, but anyone of any age who's polite should know better than to inflict their music on others. That goes for kids as well as adults.

If you believe you can offer helpful advice, offer it. The main benefit of age is experience. There's no point in going through life unless you're learning, and hoarding knowledge benefits no one. Share what you know and what you have, when you can help others, while you can help them.

Don't look down on others, whether they're young or old.

Don't look down on yourself, whatever your age or circumstances.

Do everything you can every day to both lift yourself up and to help others.

Celebrate yourself and others.

And if classic rock helps you do that, rock on.

[liberalla]

44. This is a wonderful post. Thank you!

[WhiskeyGrinder]

21. Wow, none of this sounds like fun.

[chowder66]

23. In other words, disappear.

[usonian]

26. Four Things

1. As a scholar and a gentleman, I RESERVE THE RIGHT to cuss, scream at, condemn and sometimes kick (with caution) any damn inanimate object that doesn't behave.

2. I found a 50,000 watt station out of Fresno that blasts out oldies.

3. Speaking of "looks", I remember every damn insult hurled at me during the sixties regarding my hair, sideburns and clothing choices. I have one thing (well, lots of things) to say to the "Patriots" who assaulted the Capitol.

GET A F***ING SHAVE, HAIRCUT, WEAR JEANS INSTEAD OF THE FAKE CAMO GEAR AND/OR GOATSKINS

and above all:
4. I forgot the fourth. I'll edit this post if and when I remember it.

[MineralMan]

28. #1. Don't give unsolicited advice to your age peers.

Your unpleasant experiences may not be the experiences of others.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

29. Many years ago, around the time I turned 40,

my husband and I noticed that servers in restaurants were suddenly being a lot nicer to us, and we realized it was because we looked like Mom and Dad.

Then one day we had a younger server than usual, and she was incredibly respectful, and it dawned on us that we looked to her like Grandma and Grandpa.

[LAS14]

30. I think generic advice for people based on their age is stupid!!!!! NT

[marybourg]

31. Response from an 80-year old:

Patronizing crap.

[Mr.Bill]

33. I'm coming up on 69 in a few weeks.

My biggest problem is sharing my knowledage when the last encounter I had with the subject was 40-50 years ago. I could tell you all about Miami, I was there in 1958 and 1977. I could also tell you all about Silicon Valley, I lived there for 30 years. But I left there in 1991.

And stories...don't get me started. I have lots of good ones, but I'm running out of people who haven't heard them five times. When I meet someone new, it's like striking gold. Someone new I can tell my stories to. I'm blessed with a wife who tolerates having to hear them once again.

I've been practicing for when my doctor gives me a cognizance test. I sat in on the one our doctor gave my wife recently. She aced it. One of the thengs was they give you a paper and pen and tell you to draw a clock that says a certain time. I'm going to draw the clock with roman numerals.

[dweller]

37. If they tell me to draw a clock

I’m gonna quick look at my cellphone, then draw a sundial with the correct time
😉




✌🏻

[Atticus]

34. Stereotype much? nt

[FormerOstrich]

35. Your advices, well intended as it may be,

seems very sad to me. I don't know what has influenced you to believe you need to stay out of way. Nor, why you think others aren't interested in what you say. Or, why you have become so intolerant you think want to silence the music. Perhaps your self-esteem has taken a blow.

1) don't try to look young, it doesn't work...at best it comes off looking like, 'putting lipstick on a pig'...don't dress 'young' or groom 'young' and try to act your age...

My body doesn't work like it did so tempering some physical actions may be wise...but I believe when I fly my kite, put the June Bug in a jar and keep it on the shelf, draw pictures in my driveway with chalk, blow soap bubbles, visiting the botanical garden (butterfly tent twice) and numerous other frivolous activities I am acting my age. Dressing appropriately for the activity is ageless.

2) don't be scary or offensive...shave/shower regularly, trim those nose/ear hairs, get adult haircuts and do something with those out-of-control bushy eyebrows...and by the way, your 3-day-old clothes are not clean no matter what your nose might be telling you...

I don't know what an adult haircut is. I always sport the never comb look no matter the time, energy, and money spent.

3) if you're over 65 and you've put on perfume or cologne and you can smell it, you've put on way too much...you're gagging people around you...

This is true at any age.....

4) at home, in your car or on a bicycle, don't BLAST YOUR 60's MUSIC...nobody wants to hear it...even I don't want to hear it...

Is it only 60s music you don't want blasted. I sort of don't like rap being blasted. I like playing my music in my home and car. I don't see how that can trouble you....even if it wafts over to your car during the red light.

5) don't tell old stories from the past...most people have no reference...just because nothing's basically changed in your life during the last 30 years is no reason to bore people to death...

I am a polite listener. I listen to people and their stories. I love some of my old stories. I love telling them. Friends listen to each other. They don't view it as a burden. It's more pleasant when no one monopolizes the time but we need our stories.

Everyone's life has changed in the last 30 years. I don't assume other people are bored when I speak no more than I am bored when they speak

6) don't offer dated 'expert' advice on anything, it's Out Of Date Advice...just because your advice is very familiar to you it's probably meaningless or useless to others...

This is sort of like telling our stories. I might have some good advice. I don't believe by default it is meaningless or useless. I am an expert at nothing but I have some good advice from time to time.

7) when you travel by foot or by car, try to act like you're actually going someplace 'today'...taking 15 minutes to navigate a store's entrance is unacceptable...use Amazon...

I know you are in a hurry but a little patience and kindness is in order. Are you asking handicapped and elderly just stay at home so they don't cause a minute of inconvenience? What about an opportunity to maybe help the person because there is clearly a problem if it is 15 minutes. Otherwise, I think you are exaggerating a bit because you just don't have the patience to be around others.

8) don't get angry or hostile with inanimate objects...they do not hate you...they are not out to get you...

I think being angry and hostile with inanimate objects is a great tradeoff to being intolerant and angry with my friends, family, and neighbors. It is very nice because "things" don't even care.

9) don't keep repeating yourself...saying the same thing day after day and acting like you're saying something new is extremely tedious...people can only take so much before they puke...

Okay, duly noted, don't be nauseating.....I'll work on that!

10) last but not least, when asking someone for help, wait at least 10 minutes before asking again...

I rarely ask someone for help but if I do I think they should be able to communicate well enough within 10 minutes so I can ascertain if they will or won't be able to help me. Otherwise, I may think they didn't hear me and I'll repeat my request for help. I probably really need help if I asked.

[XanaDUer2]

36. I love stories from old people

Very interesting

[Raine]

38. 💩 nt

[Diamond_Dog]

39. When my sons are here for Sunday dinner

They will ask me, What story are we going to hear today, Mom?

1. The story about what the Rocky Mountains look like when you’re driving west on I-70
2. The box machine at his summer job when he was in college, or
3. The rant about Art Modell and the Browns and Mayor White and the Plain Dealer?

Guaranteed you’ll hear at least one ….

[llmart]

43. Just for you...

I have a story about Art Modell - In the early 70's I lived next door to a woman who was a very attractive, blonde divorcee who was having an affair with Art Modell. Bet you haven't heard that one.

Re: the Plain Dealer - I read it front to back every day. My parents always subscribed to it. My son was a carrier for 5 years and he was carrier of the month one time and I got to go to a dinner there and get a tour of the place where it was printed.

[Diamond_Dog]

59. Heh wow that's quite a story!

I got the PD for years but don’t anymore. and I kinda miss real paper newspapers.

I worked at a commercial printer for ten years although we did not print newspapers.

Thanks for posting!

[Backseat Driver]

41. Sorry/not sorry, OP, but I really don't remember asking for any advice.

I like to smile a lot, be kind to others, and "dance like no one's watching" to my music which is BTW very eclectic -- at home--and in my pj's at 4 o'clock in the afternoon if I choose! That should save you from all those judgements about what "old" people should wear, do, or say when we're out in public. I can tell that you're very observant and still vainly independent, but please lose the judgments and your broadcasted senior tips. The stress from strangers" faults of the same is going to wear you out long before your time.

[Solly Mack]

47. I make it to "old(er) age" then I'm fucking well doing as I please.

[Maeve]

48. Oh and...tats are normal now. Deal with it quietly

[moonscape]

50. I feel so liberated in my 70's being able to

do exactly what I want, as long as I’m not hurting anyone, without being concerned what other people think. Staying home to shop on Amazon if I spend too much time doing something when out? Seriously?

When I am old I shall wear purple damn it! Earned it!

[Lars39]

52. Heh...why wait?!

[Aussie105]

56. I don't like this thread . . .

It has destroyed my only reason for living - annoying others!

I'm going to ignore this thread now.

(But I do need a shower, shave and change of clothes, so there is that. 3 days though? More like 3 weeks!)

[Raine]

58. No point or benefit in getting to a ripe old age

if you're subjected to a bunch of silly rules that are just to please others. Seniors should be able to finally be themselves and live their lives as a please. As long as you're kind to others and don't hurt hurt anyone physically or mentally do you're own thing, as a senior you've earned it .