Feeling old(ish)

[murchmb]

I'm 42. My 40th birthday came and went with a really nice party and no strong personal feelings about the milestone or the time that has passed since. That changed yesterday.

I went to the optometrist for the first time in 7 years. I was a contact lens and eyeglass wearer with a light prescription. When my lens prescription lapsed and my glasses fell off the tank of my motorcycle somewhere on my 12 mile drive home from work, I went on with life looking through two uncorrected, slightly farsighted eyes. After the usual vision test and staring into a variety of expensive machines, I walked out of the office with three things ringing in my head:

• "I think we can keep you out of bifocals for another 2 years."
• "I see some tiny cateracts. Just wanted you to know they are there, but you have 20 years or so before we need to do anything about them."
• "If you are going to wear your contacts to work, get some +1.50 reading glasses."

Bi-focals? Reading glasses? Cataracts? I might as well make an appointment with Dr. Jellyfinger and see what he has to say about my prostate.

My apologies to members who have already reached/surpassed these milestones. Just a little bummed that the aging process has finally hit home mentally. Mid-life crisis here I come.

[don.putnick]

Not to worry. There are rewards ahead. Soon you'll be able to join AARP. The real mid-life crisis comes when you start getting Senior discounts without asking for them.

[studman46]

I'm 42. My 40th birthday came and went with a really nice party and no strong personal feelings about the milestone or the time that has passed since. That changed yesterday.

I went to the optometrist for the first time in 7 years. I was a contact lens and eyeglass wearer with a light prescription. When my lens prescription lapsed and my glasses fell off the tank of my motorcycle somewhere on my 12 mile drive home from work, I went on with life looking through two uncorrected, slightly farsighted eyes. After the usual vision test and staring into a variety of expendive machines, I walked out of the office with three things ringing in my head:

• "I think we can keep you out of bifocals for another 2 years."
• "I see some tiny cateracts. Just wanted you to know they are there, but you have 20 years or so before we need to do anything about them."
• "If you are going to wear your contacts to work, get some +1.50 reading glasses."

Bi-focals? Reading glasses? Cataracts? I might as well make an appointment with Dr. Jellyfinger and see what he has to say about my prostate.

My apologies to members who have already reached/surpassed these milestones. Just a little bummed that the aging process has finally hit home mentally. Mid-life crisis here I come.

Heck my son just turned 40 so don't feel bad. Actually we all start the downhill slide the minute we're born; we just don't start to see it till 40+. I fixed all the eye problems at once with progressive lenses and Dr. lube and I have a reunion once a year. Remember, we are only as old as we feel....it's when we can't feel anymore that the worry starts..
Anyway, the older we get, the more excuses we have to not visit the 'relatives'.

[soapbox]

I'm 42. My 40th birthday came and went with a really nice party and no strong personal feelings about the milestone or the time that has passed since. That changed yesterday.

...

Bi-focals? Reading glasses? Cataracts? I might as well make an appointment with Dr. Jellyfinger and see what he has to say about my prostate.

My apologies to members who have already reached/surpassed these milestones. Just a little bummed that the aging process has finally hit home mentally. Mid-life crisis here I come.

On the contrary -- you made it to 40 in good health, and so far all your maladies are known and easily treatable. Shoot, that's pretty rockin' good.

Though -- "Dr. Jellyfinger" -- I'm writing that one down because I'm almost 40...

[Nancy Boy]

I turned 50 a few months ago.

Call me when you get to that milestone and then we'll talk.

[slcsteve]

Turned 66 this month. Life is good - there's just not enough of it.

[Groundhog]

Here's a little anecdote from work that made me feel downright ancient.....

As some of the regulars here know I'm a "public servant" by profession. The other day my squad was out working a crime scene. Through security video we discovered a "vehicle of interest" involved in the incident under investigation was a late 70's to early 80's blue Chevy Monte Carlo with T-tops. This info was passed on to 2 of the uniforms on the scene for the purpose of getting the description out city-wide. Both of them looked at each other and back at us with quizzical looks, and one asked ......"What are T-tops?"

I just walked away feeling very, very old.

[blackfoot]

Don't worry. Enjoy the end of your life.













I know, that wasn't nice.

[strat1117]

I'm about to turn 50, and I wear "progressive" lenses (like trifocals without the lines). It's not so bad.

Plus, the so-called "mid-life crisis" is really just an excuse to go buy yourself a sports car!!



Enjoy!

[Houndawg]

I'm 40 and the doctor has used an extra pair of gloves on me twice already.

[Muirtach]

Here's a little anecdote from work that made me feel downright ancient.....

As some of the regulars here know I'm a "public servant" by profession. The other day my squad was out working a crime scene. Through security video we discovered a "vehicle of interest" involved in the incident under investigation was a late 70's to early 80's blue Chevy Monte Carlo with T-tops. This info was passed on to 2 of the uniforms on the scene for the purpose of getting the description out city-wide. Both of them looked at each other and back at us with quizzical looks, and one asked ......"What are T-tops?"

I just walked away feeling very, very old.

Dang. I am a few months off of 30 and that makes me feel old. Would probably make my almost 22 yo brother feel old as well.

[blackfoot]

Here's a little anecdote from work that made me feel downright ancient.....

As some of the regulars here know I'm a "public servant" by profession. The other day my squad was out working a crime scene. Through security video we discovered a "vehicle of interest" involved in the incident under investigation was a late 70's to early 80's blue Chevy Monte Carlo with T-tops. This info was passed on to 2 of the uniforms on the scene for the purpose of getting the description out city-wide. Both of them looked at each other and back at us with quizzical looks, and one asked ......"What are T-tops?"

I just walked away feeling very, very old.

I love T-tops. What are you doing, hiring 15 year old rookies? No, I am getting old too. I am only thirty. I am too young to be old.

[BigFish]

......"What are T-tops?"

Reminds me of a time a couple years ago when I took my 1968 Camaro in for an oil change instead of doing it myself. The younger kid didn't know how to open the hood. (I was watching him through the glass from the waiting room) He was sitting in the driver's seat pulling on the emergency brake release and couldn't figure out why the hood wasn't popping open. He went and got another guy and they both tried pulling the brake release. They finally came and ask me if I could come out and open the hood for them. When I reached under the front of the hood and popped it right open, their expressions were priceless. I chuckled all day.

[Jac]

Reminds me of a time a couple years ago when I took my 1968 Camaro in for an oil change instead of doing it myself. The younger kid didn't know how to open the hood. (I was watching him through the glass from the waiting room) He was sitting in the driver's seat pulling on the emergency brake release and couldn't figure out why the hood wasn't popping open. He went and got another guy and they both tried pulling the brake release. They finally came and ask me if I could come out and open the hood for them. When I reached under the front of the hood and popped it right open, their expressions were priceless. I chuckled all day.

[sfbobus]

I'm 42. My 40th birthday came and went with a really nice party and no strong personal feelings about the milestone or the time that has passed since. That changed yesterday.

I went to the optometrist for the first time in 7 years. I was a contact lens and eyeglass wearer with a light prescription. When my lens prescription lapsed and my glasses fell off the tank of my motorcycle somewhere on my 12 mile drive home from work, I went on with life looking through two uncorrected, slightly farsighted eyes. After the usual vision test and staring into a variety of expendive machines, I walked out of the office with three things ringing in my head:

• "I think we can keep you out of bifocals for another 2 years."
• "I see some tiny cateracts. Just wanted you to know they are there, but you have 20 years or so before we need to do anything about them."
• "If you are going to wear your contacts to work, get some +1.50 reading glasses."

Bi-focals? Reading glasses? Cataracts? I might as well make an appointment with Dr. Jellyfinger and see what he has to say about my prostate.

My apologies to members who have already reached/surpassed these milestones. Just a little bummed that the aging process has finally hit home mentally. Mid-life crisis here I come.

Sure beats the other option. Hang in there I am going to be 66 in a couple of weeks and still trying to figure out where the time went.

[Groundhog]

I love T-tops. What are you doing, hiring 15 year old rookies? No, I am getting old too. I am only thirty. I am too young to be old.

They were both 25 years old!

[blackfoot]

They were both 25 years old!

[gollum83]

Dang. I am a few months off of 30 and that makes me feel old. Would probably make my almost 22 yo brother feel old as well.

Well I'm 25 and know what a T-top is! Those guys just sound ignorant if you ask me.

And Mike, you're only as old a you feel. I got that advice my very spry and feisty great-grandmother. Had one of the sharpest minds and wits of anyone I knew. Shame she passed away a decade ago at the age of 93.

[professorchaos]

Everyone gets old and it is far, far better than the alternative. Was it Ted Nugent who said "it isn't about how old you are, it's about how you are when you're old?"

[michael.scheller]

Almost literally --- old eyes!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyopia

Your lenses are similar to your finger and toenails. Somewhere around age 40 your eye (ciliary) muscles get too weak to pull the ever hardening lens into the flattened shape necessary for close viewing.

I was 45 when I got my first pair of reading glasses and bifocals.