As of 5:10am on Sunday, November 20th, I am officially sixty years old. Wow. How the heck did that happen?😮 Mentally, I’m still around twenty-five. Yes, my sons are in their thirties, but that doesn’t seem to have an impact on my mental age. Aging is one of those things that, until now, hasn’t really impacted me.
Kenn turned sixty in August. One day recently, he stopped and asked “Are you having a hard time with turning sixty?” I had to give the question some thought. The best answer I could come up with was “Maybe a little bit.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m not huddled in a darkened room binging on Ding Dongs and baking shows, but turning sixty has been… thought provoking. Kenn said it was a little harder for him too – not necessarily his own age but the realization that our oldest son will be forty in a few short years. (My brain and fingers insist it should be spelled “fourty”.) Oddly enough, it was a similar situation for me in that it wasn’t my own age that was a bit of an eye opener. I’m the baby of my family; my sisters are nine and ten years older. In September of 2021, while we were on our road trip up the East coast, my oldest sister had a stroke. I was shocked to realize that she was only six months shy of turning seventy. Whoa. Before I know it, I’ll be the one turning seventy. (Good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, as my Grandmama used to say.)
A couple of months ago, Kenn asked what I wanted to do for my birthday. My answer was immediate: I wanted to take the camper to Amicalola Falls State Park for the weekend. I was long overdue for a soul recharge in the mountains. Being the good hubby that he is, Kenn had gone online and made reservations before we finished our conversation. The trip was wonderful and relaxing, just what I needed. We did a little hiking and a lot of being lazy. We even caught part of a raptor show at the Lodge.
Due to the temperatures (forties in the day, twenties at night), we weren’t allowed to keep the “city water” connected to the camper full time. Instead, we had to put water in our fresh water tank for use at night. (We have tank heaters to keep the water from freezing.) However, this was when we discovered that something wasn’t working right. Instead of a steady stream of water from the fresh water tank, we only got spits and spurts. In addition to being frustrating, it gave us a problem that we needed to figure out before we take the camper to the Asheville, NC area for New Year’s. Kenn informed me last night that the problem has been resolved. (Yay!) Fortunately, it was something relatively simple; one of the valves was in “winterize” mode. Once he switched the valve, everything started working correctly. Whew!
So, how well are you dealing with aging?
Linda Lou's Life 
The things I hate about aging are knee and hip issues. They’ve seen some hard use!
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Yep. I’m pretty sure knee replacements are somewhere in Kenn’s not too distant future. The touch of arthritis in my shoulders always lets me know when the weather is changing, LOL.
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Truthfully, I have loved every decade for so many reasons. Also truthfully, 70 was a little harder, only because it was in the midst of Covid and life had changed for all of us. Fortunately, I also retired then and had a lot of time to explore new things I wanted to do. It is easier now, although there are things I cannot do as easily. But it is all good!
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Exactly! Each new phase is different, but it’s all good.
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I didn’t have any issues with turning 60 (six years ago) but, like you, I’m the baby in my family so the ages of my two older brothers freak me out!
I’m happy, healthy, and busier than ever, so life is good!
Happy belated birthday!
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First, Happy Birthday! And you are a very cute and fun 60 year old. I like the idea of asking for an “experience” as a gift. I’ve done that, too. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need more stuff. Plus, I would rather have the fun! I don’t mind getting older, but the most important thing to me is how I feel. And sometimes stuff hurts, so I try my best to stay as healthy as I can. Here’s to a great new decade for you!
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Thank you!😊 Like you, I really don’t need more stuff. I have a hard time when people ask me for gift ideas for my birthday or Christmas.😬
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Dan asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I don’t know! We tell our kids gift cards for camping 🙂
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Happy Birthday! That sounds like a nice birthday!
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Thank you! It was.
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You’re welcome. I’ve got a birthday this week. We’re going to go to go on a two day bowl-a-thon and stay at a hotel my son has been wanting to go to. Throw in some Christmas lights, too. Birthdays are nice for remembering to spoil ourselves a little.
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Happy birthday! I hope you have a wonderful trip!
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Even though my parents have never talked about their thoughts on aging… reading yours made me think of them.. but I love the part – that you are aware of your mental age.. inspite of physical tiredness, your mind is what aspires your body to keep working.. you got it.. I wish you stay young in all your upcoming days..
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Thank you!
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I have way more issues with aging than I should. Luckily, good genes run in the family; people routinely think I’m 8-10 years younger than I really am (53). And my parents look good for being in their mid- to late-70s.
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