When You Were Younger How Did You Envision Your Seniors?

Question

For me, I saw myself living in the 'old homestead' - a home large enough to accomodate visiting children and grands - a 'tire' swing hanging from an old maple tree - a wrap around porch with a ceiling suspended swing...etc etc. and me and my mate together and comfortable as two old shoes but enjoying life to its fullest.

NOT....life happened - I have been divorced since '77 - never remarried [nor he] - came close but no bananas...

I was hell bent on providing my kids as close to the life I had when growing up - so I lived financially too close to the edge so I could live in DC suburbs that were safe, diverse, good public schools and great neighbors [takes a whole community to raise a child!] Although I made good money through three careers over the years it all went towards the kids - housing; cars; athletics; dance; college you name it.

STILL my dream was remained in focus until I was the unfortunate recipient of a RIF from my 'good government job'.

Today I am truly OK...AM getting to a point where I wonder what it would be like to have a considerate and loving mate but alas, my close friends who are male have absolutely NO problem having company...my one female single friend is where I am...LOL

Looking forward to your sharings :-)

My kids are remarkably generous! NO issue there...:-)

But even they cannot replace someone who is WITH ME and caring and sharing WITH me.

Answer 1

I always thought I would have the marriage my parents did and grow old with my husband in a nice house. Not to big but room for the children to come home too.I also visioned traveling to different parts of the world enjoying my retirement. Well I don't see any of those things happening. Instead I am a divorced woman twice, live in an apartment, work everyday to make ends meet and my children all live in different parts of the USA with there own families. OH well life goes on and this was how it was suppose to be.

Answer 2

I envisioned what I was seeing every day (most of the people in my parents city were age 65, and older. Many a LOT older);

1. I would be white haired.
2. Physically, I would be very skinny.
3. I would walk with a shuffle.
4. I would have terrible eye sight.
5. I would have terrible hearing.
6. I would not drive faster than 20 MPH.
I remember the roads full of seniors driving at this speed.
7. My clothes would be black leather shoes, white socks,
black shorts, black belt, and a white t shirt under a white
button short-sleeve shirt.
8. Sometimes I would wear a full-brim hat.

Now at 55, I STILL see a lot of seniors in terrible physical condition. Now they drive 30. Everywhere! When some drive the interstate, they are driving 50 in a 70 mph zone!

Fortunately for me, I have not experienced any of this. I started weightlifting at age 38. Now I am big, strong, and muscular.
I get physicals every 6 months and I am in GREAT shape.
I work strong, walk upright, have great balance, and walk with step and determination.

ALL thanks to daily exercising.

Answer 3

Old age and retirement for hubby and me was always something we planned for but never really saw with much clarity. We were just convinced that someday we would NOT HAVE TO work and be able to have our own time.

Our dream took a dramatic turn when we moved from a 24yr homestead to a beautiful house twice the size just in time for our son to have to move back in with us for 3 years. I lost both my parents in a 2yr period, then discovered I had breast cancer just months before hubby retired. ALL OF THIS happened during a 6 year period !!!

All is well now and life has once again smoothed out, but as in all things, you never know what's just around the corner and life is always full of surprises and challenges.

Answer 4

OMG, I had that same comfortable 'plan' for my old age. Shoot, I can't even get our daughter and family over for a hol-
iday meal, much less having a 'clan' over. You are so right
about life happening.
I've been married almost 45 years to the same man. And
life has been almost a continual struggle. I too wanted our
kids to live in a safe environment, in a modern house with
same amenities, and the whole nine yards also. I doubt today
they even appreciate our sacrifices. For the one shuns us,
thanks to his being a JW now. And our daughter is always
on the road, or flying on business. So we see them maybe
once a month. So if we see them on any holiday, we have to
go to their house. If we're invited. Sometimes they get together with his family, or her girlfriend and family. We seem
to be swept aside in our old age. We'll get a complimentary
call maybe once every two weeks or we call them. So much
for our old age dreams. Where did we go wrong?

Answer 5

I envisioned the same thing until the 70's hit and that kinda blacked out the reminiscing in the porch swing in my later years! However, this age is a whole new thing and it's different and slowed down a lot but I lead a pretty exciting life with friends and family and my men friends!! I like to go to watch my grandkids play sports, rodeos and my Native American culture!!

Answer 6

I had a good job, was always the bread-winner for both of my marriages, found my "dream house", thought I'd retire there & be there the rest of my life. Then as someone else put it, life happens while you're making plans. I had to start over at 45. My daughter is also not a person I can depend on. I have warned her that I can no longer aford to bail her out. I'm still here.

Answer 7

Well I have the swing, but no porch , been married 41 years but we are" the Bickersons" reincarnated. Daughter supposed to be here, but isn't . Busy raising grandaughter who is number 1 priority right now. I consider myself lucky though because my health is good compared to a lot of people my age. I am low maintenance and don't need a lot of things to be happy (only ice-cream) which hubby gladly provides . If I'm happy, everybody is happy if you get my meaning!

Answer 8

I had a sprint purple wood rocking chair with a cane backside whilst i replaced into little (choose I had it now!). And we additionally had an entire-length rocking chair interior the front room whilst i replaced into growing to be up. once I married, I had a rocking chair to rock my toddlers in (smart). Now I actually have a Lazy Boy rocker/recliner that i don't comprehend how i might get by utilising without. it is so gentle to front room in jointly as observing t.v. no longer something like it for putting my ft up and reclining lower back a sprint. yet I now and lower back merely sit down and rock a sprint quite as quickly as I study or artwork my Sudoku puzzles. I actually have a organic end wood rocking chair on my front porch that my son gave to me for mom's Day some years in the past. It replaced into ok equipped by utilising the Amish. Rocking chairs are a brilliant invention, i think of....And God bless you too!

Answer 9

To tell you the truth, I never stopped long enough to envision aging. IF I thought about it at all, it would have been from the standpoint that I "wait til I'm 64" and would have thought, Big deal!...but I never thought about arthritis, what aging does, etc. I never really thought about the future, I was too busy trying to make it in the present. Things have changed little in my life in this respect. Goldwing

Answer 10

Truly never thought about it. When age starts catching up with me, I'm gonna do a lot of traveling though. Afterall, I really haven't been retired (twice after 20 yr each) & on SS THAT long.