Can I brag just a little? For all those who think elders' lives are done

[nolabear]

It’s been a good month. Last week I finished my MFA in Creative Writing at 66, and yesterday Mr. Bear received his black belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu at 65.

Are we old enough to have to deal with the pains and problems that come with age? You bet. Things hurt out of nowhere, healing is slow, and I refuse the painkillers that would make me less able to do what I love, writing and teaching writing. He’s done jiujitsu through stents, a bypass, and we’ve had COVID restrictions that made things far different than we’d imagined for months. But by God we did it! There’s a way. It might have to be a new way, but there’s a way!

Thanks for “listening.” One of my writing goals is to have full, interesting elder characters in my work. We get a terrible rap for such productive people.

[hlthe2b]

1. Way to go--both of you!

[jpak]

2. Yay!

:creaking:

[fierywoman]

3. Tutti bravi !!!

[bahboo]

4. Fantastic says this 68 year old...

[Phoenix61]

5. That's fantastic! nt

[gademocrat7]

6. Kudos to you both!

[donco]

7. I will be in 85 in Dec

I’m about to get my 55 thru75 hex-dumbbell set on eBay…they're or are getting RUSTY.

[nolabear]

11. HELL YES!

Because you can!

[donco]

17. :headbang:

[UpInArms]

8. I continue to tell people that I am 17 with wrinkles

And, I am far from done ….

Some days, I learn my limitations and, some days, I learn I can do almost anything

I love being older … there is no one to tell me “no,” but me …

keep on keeping on, nolabear

[SheltieLover]

9. Congrats on your MFA & to Mr. On his black.belt

[Permanut]

10. Brag away..

This 75-year old salutes you both.

[Skittles]

12. tell us something you've accomplished in your senior years Permanut!

[Permanut]

19. What a delightful and challenging question..

Delightful because it prompts me to where I've been, where I am and where I'm going;

Challenging because there is nothing that would qualify me for an Oscar or a Nobel prize, but rather a set of experiences during my 10 years of retirement that makes me grateful to still be able to do things like cut down a couple of cherry trees.

I'm Viet Nam era; served in the Navy but did NOT serve in Nam. Had two friends that didn't come back, though, and that contributes a lot to my gratitude for a life that they had no chance for.

Also grateful that I have a partner of 34 years, who also happens to be a gorgeous blond, and grateful for a secure home and financial stability in these strange times.

Oh, and making amends for having voted for Richard Nixon in 1968/

[Skittles]

21. excellent response

I know this too: "a lot of fine people are denied the privilege of growing old"

were you ever at Great Lakes Naval Station? That's where I got my dates in high school. I loved Navy guys - party animals but sooo polite

[Permanut]

25. Oregon kid..

Boot camp in San Diego; October 1965. No TV, no phone, no email, no internet. One cheesy cheap little radio playing things like "Flowers on the Wall" by the Statler Brothers, and "Michelle" by the Beatles. We could write letters (found out later my parents kept all of them), and smoke at various times.

They were a great bunch of guys, but lost touch with them after we left boot camp We were all kinda busy. Ended up on a tin can out of Norfolk Virginia, went all over the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, never within 10,000 mile of Nam. Just luck.

Thanks for the chance to go down memory lane.

[Skittles]

26. I went to boot camp in San Antonio

USAF, a decade after you

yeah it was so different then

[relayerbob]

13. Good for you!!

At 64, I am starting a business making a new type of musical instrument, and have just received a patent on one of the main components. Despite some major health concerns, I still believe, nevertheless, age is what you make of it.

[nolabear]

35. Oh fantastic! What kind of instrument?

[relayerbob]

77. A new type of small electric guitar

Sorta in the travel guitar area, but with my newly patented miniatuized bridge/tuner. Very different than what you see out there. My wife likes it and says it's cute. Hahahaha

[electric_blue68]

71. Oooo, that sounds fascinating! 👍 🎶🎵

[BuddhaGirl]

14. BRAVO!!

And thank you for sharing your inspirational achievements!

I'm 59 and occasionally struggle with the aging process...so good to read posts like this!

[Solly Mack]

15. Excellent! Congrats to you both!

You're not bragging - you're just telling us the facts about how awesome you both are!

And you can't argue with facts!

Y'all are awesome!

[MLAA]

16. Well done Bear Clan!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

18. Excellent!

I'm 73, and I can assure everyone that it is possible to get a job after age 40. Or 50. Or even 60.

I moved some 800 miles to a new city at the age of 60, after a divorce. I had no trouble getting work. Okay, so they were entry-level jobs, mainly because I had never had any kind of career or high-paid/high-powered job. Nonetheless, I got jobs. I even wound up turning down one after I'd decided to retire and was collecting SS, because the job was listed in the paper as part time. Alas, their idea of part time was 30 hours a week, and I only wanted 20. Otherwise I'd have been hired on the spot. But the owner (small local business) asked me if I'd be willing to come in for some temp work with them. I said, yes, and twice was called in. It was a nice experience.

Personally, I love not working. I have done some writing, so I'm blown away by your MFA in Creative Writing. Any chance you'll be publishing a novel any time soon? I do hope you let us all know about it if that happens.

[nolabear]

36. I actually already have a couple. PM me.

I’ve written for many years but had to make a living so made my living as a psychotherapist.

I agree you can start a new job or career later in life. I’ll also admit it’s got it’s challenges!

[niyad]

20. Wow. Fantastic. Congratulations to you both,

I have been blessed my whole life with older role models who lead amazing and interesting lives. Hmm, those role models seem to be a lot closer to my age these days. How did THAT happen???

Anyway, kudos to you both, and may there be many more such happy occasions.

[leftieNanner]

22. Well done!

Where did you get the MFA?

I have leanings in that direction.

[nolabear]

37. Goddard College

Low residency. A campus on each coast (and virtually lately) and a wide variety of both students and faculty. The degree is worth something; they’ve been around a long time.

[leftieNanner]

38. Thank you. Nt

[leftieNanner]

57. What was your area?

Fiction? Poetry?

And what did you write for your thesis?

[nolabear]

58. Fiction. I wrote a collection of short stories/novella

For the purposes of the thesis it works but I’m going to separate the stories into two manuscripts, combining them with others I’ve got, and expand the novella into a novel. I’ve got two distinct interests, that of women and girls facing life changing events in a real way, and something similar but with a strong magical realism element. I really love short fiction. It’s a whole ‘nother animal.

[leftieNanner]

66. Sounds Wonderful!

I've been working on a YA novel for a while now. I was zipping along and then 2016 happened and my writing has been short-circuited since then. Making a serious effort to schedule writing time every day.

Best of luck on the next steps.

[nolabear]

67. Thanks. Do you know Sherri Smith's work?

She was an advisor of mine. She does very well in YA these days.

[leftieNanner]

68. I will investigate

Thanks for the tip!

[Sogo]

23. Woot woot!!

Thanks for sharing.

You should be very proud of your accomplishments.

Way to go!!

[Trueblue Texan]

24. Congrats, Nolabear!

You and Mr. Bear inspire this therapist in geriatric setting! Keep on moving!

[nolabear]

39. Boy could I use you! What's your specialty?

I was also a psychotherapist til I retired and still teach at a training institute. I’m teaching a class on aging this winter, and the more I realize how little there is available to teach, the madder I get.

[Trueblue Texan]

46. I work in geriatric home health

but my passion is aging in place--preparing homes for fall prevention and supporting independence regardless of mobility problems.

[Trueblue Texan]

48. Occupational therapy assistant.nt

[nolabear]

50. Good work. We lost our whole oldest generation this past year.

Four marvelous people in their late eighties and nineties. All were home nearly to the end. One did fall and then had a dreadful few months where no one could see him as he was in a nursing home. Another had home care from two people who’d been devoted for years and we were all sad but so very glad.

You do good work. As I get older it seems better all the time!

[Trueblue Texan]

75. Thanks for your words of appreciation...

Exhaustion and burnout lurks night and day.

[Ilsa]

27. I'm in my sixties helping to care for my

80-something year old mother-in-law with dementia because we can't get her into a nursing home. Yeah, really good times here.

But congrats on your MFA!

[nolabear]

40. Hard stuff. But incredibly worthy work.

We lost FOUR of the elders this year, all in their 90s but it was stunning. That whole generation. Taking care of a parent with dementia takes just about all you’ve got.

[Trueblue Texan]

47. I've heard that parenting is the hardest job of all...

...but I know from experience of working with elders that parenting your parents is the absolute toughest job on earth.

[Ilsa]

51. And she's not even my top priority.

My 20-something autistic is.

While I spent an hour making her breakfast, helping her clean up and get dressed, he melted down. Fortunately, he didn't tear the house up again, but he hit his dad.

[nolabear]

53. Again, I (sort of) relate.

My husband’s brother has a severely autistic thirtysomething son. After years of saving and working nonstop and the dreadful death of his wife a few years ago he and several others created a group home with remarkable staff and shared time among the parents. Watching them over the years gave me a sense of what iron is.

I hope you have others who take care of you now and again. ❤️

[blm]

28. 💐💐

🖖🏽

[wendyb-NC]

29. You have indeed raised my hope

for continuing to follow my dreams. You and Mr Bear, are my new heroes.

[MustLoveBeagles]

30. Impressive

[paleotn]

31. Much congrats!!

[Ohio Joe]

32. "Things hurt out of nowhere"

I was taking a nap... WTF? Why does my arm hurt?

Yeah... Yeah... I understand.

[nolabear]

41. Indeed. Why does typing hurt?

[Ziggysmom]

33. Back in 2007 that dweeb who sells everyone's privacy, Mark Zuckerberg

said ‘young people are just smarter’. What a crock of poo.

Congrats on your MFA and the Mister's Black Belt. The best way to maintain your sense of value and cognitive functioning is to be continually learning new things.

[nolabear]

42. Amen to that!

[Joinfortmill]

34. 👍

[summer_in_TX]

43. Productive is right!

Congratulations on your wonderful achievements, and that of Mr. Bear. I couldn't agree more.

My post-retirement has been filled with cool things. A Master's completed just shy of 60. Starting a community radio station. Building and designing websites. Producing a radio show. Speaking at a panel at the UN's Commission on the Status of Women.

None of which I had any background for before retirement.

Ten years into retirement, I'm ready to "retire" again. Not really but I am rolling off of the radio station's BoD in December and off of the Board of the LWV of my county at the end of May. Gotta rest for awhile (the League keeps me amazingly busy) and my husband has been waiting (and waiting!) for me to get loose and have time to travel.

[nolabear]

44. You're living one of my dreams!

I have always wanted to do local radio. I’ve done a few interviews and readings and know several people who are in traffic or have on-air work and radio has been part of my life forever. Next to writing it would be a favorite art form to be part of.

[summer_in_TX]

76. Oddly, I don't consider myself a very fluent speaker - unless it's a topic about which

I'm passionate. Like the importance of local media. So I'd much rather be behind the scenes, cheering on others. I just saw floods and fires threaten our community and knew a recent law was going to give nonprofits a chance to apply for a broadcast license. It was a chance to make our area much safer. I didn't have a background in radio, nonprofits, journalism, business, or nonprofits. But here we are 5 years beyond getting our license and KWVH-LP received a state award for broadcasting during the Icepocalypse and keeping our town informed.

Luckily some very knowledgeable people retired here and started volunteering to make the dream come true.

I hope you get to do more local radio. It's a blessing for the community and a lot of fun. We have all kinds of school and student events, covering sports and academics, city council, local musicians, performing arts events, nonprofit events, many different genres of music.

[mopinko]

45. my theory- always keep learning, and you never get old.

i'm 67, and still have a part of me that wants to go back and get that sheepskin.
dropped out of the art institute when my son was born, a junior, planning to take a semester or 2. never went back.
i did get a certificate in design from their continuing studies dept about 10 years ago. that was hard enough. but an mfa now? i get the shakes thinking about it.

a place like columbia (where i should have gone in the 1st place) would probably accept me as a grad student. saic refused a bunch of credits in my aa, but columbia would have taken those and my 3 years in carpenter school.

BUT i started taking voice lessons last year. i'm not that bad in my sweet spot, but it's pretty small. working on piano, too. that's going slowly.
but it's getting there.

it's meant extra in that it's been facetime lessons w a wonderful teacher. hubs of an old, dear friend. so throughout this mess, i had a visitor weekly.
some days we talk more than we sing.

rly hoping when this mess is over to maybe get into a choir or something.

rust never sleeps. gotta keep it all lubed.

[colsohlibgal]

49. Brag ON!

I’m 72 and still play top level Doubles tennis, and not over 50 or whatever, my partners and I regularly thrash 20 somethings on the Court.

[Percy]

52. You're an inspiration!

Thank you for posting this reminder for all of those who still have dreams and ambitions we couldn't fulfill before!

[Fla Dem]

54. Mid 60's is still a fantastic age as you and your husband are demonstrating.

Good for you!!!

[pandr32]

55. How wonderful! Congratulations!

You and Mr. Bear serve as great examples to those who are your age or older and those who are younger. We need to adjust the typical perception of seniors. Ageism is real.

Many people find themselves seniors for a large block of their lifespan--longer than being a kid or a young adult.

[ChazInAz]

56. Welcome to the crew!

I'm seventy-one.
In April I moved from Tucson, bought a 120-year-old church in Atchison, Kansas, and started converting it into a theater.
Appropriately, it's named "The Green Man Theater".

[nolabear]

61. Fan-TASTIC!

I’m so proud of us all!

[soldierant]

59. I certainly understand eschewing painkillers.

Have you considered or tried a small TENS unit: Mine has been a Godsend (I'm 76). I do use some painkillers, but only OTC. They don't get to what the TENS gets to.

[nolabear]

62. Can they help arthritic knees?

Mine robs me of a whole lot of mobility, and you know how it goes downhill from there. Thank goodness I love writing! I’d have had to give up jiujitsu years ago.

[soldierant]

78. I've never used mine on either of my knees, but

I have used it on one of my shoulders. Mostly I use it on my lower back (even when it isn't bad enough to turn into sciatica, it does slow me down and the TENS really helps. It even helps if it does turn into sciatica,)

I had a flare up with my left knee and was prcticallt immobile right before CoViD, but managed to get to a cinil. They recpmmended lots of cold and no heat ever. I did that and haven't had another flareup - that's not to sa that I won't, butI just haven't needed the TENS. On my back I have to put the pads next to each other, but on the shoulder I could put one in front and one in back, and I would think one could put them on either side of the knee too. That makes the massage effect go right through the pain. But I can really only say it might help.

I think the best deals at this point are at techcare dot com if you want to look into one, But don't sell "ice" short either. A wraparound that I can keep in the freezer when it isn't on my leg - and then wrap it around and leave it on overnight - that did work for me.

(Incidentally I live in Colorado Springs and the clinic my primary provider recommended was the one that serves the Olympic Training Center. I was really pleased that I was given a lot more information than I needed at the moment but which really made me feel confident about future decision making. And no drugs and no pressure toward any drugs.)

[Foolacious]

60. Good on ya!

I run some open mics and, since the expat community here is mostly of retirement age, most of the participants are seniors. We've had so many folks beginning to sing and perform for the first time in their lives (after a lifetime of wishing they could) and it's very inspiring to see!

[Pinback]

63. Very cool! I'm a tad older than you and involved in a variety of creative pursuits:

Playing and composing music (and learning more music theory in the process -- an endless ocean to explore), expanding my photography skills, learning to use a lot of software tools, discovering and managing a couple of websites and blogs. I have done a lot of writing in the past (mostly nonfiction), but less so now. That may change -- we'll see.

One thing's for sure, I don't get bored too often. I'm always checking out online courses, practicing music, reading both fiction and nonfiction, and trying new things. The COVID era has been a drag in many ways, but running out of things to do and learn about isn't one of them.

[SayitAintSo]

64. Congratulations!

Y'all are an inspiration!

[housecat]

65. Well done! I don't really know why, but I started law school at 60 and

graduated at 63. Maybe I just needed to know if I could do it. So after I had already retired from teaching, I became a lawyer. Of course I soon quit practicing law, because I couldn't shovel so much bullshit. I feel bad for young graduates starting out.

[NurseJackie]

69. You rock!

One of my writing goals is to have full, interesting elder characters in my work.

[jaxexpat]

70. The internal conversation of old people, well at least this older person, is peppered with memories.

They evolve. I find the initial events often valuable to re-examine, as if they were new, from time to time. Sometimes episodes of recollection have so manipulated events that they're almost unrecognizable. Set and setting and rediscovery.

[electric_blue68]

72. Congratulations to both of you!! 👏👏👍👍

[lillypaddle]

73. You and Mr. bear are awesome!

[smirkymonkey]

74. Of course! What an inspiration you and Mr. Bear are to everyone who has ever had the thought that

it's too late to fulfill their dreams. I can't tell you how happy it made me to read your post! I am 58 and kind of going through a little bit of a life crisis - maybe it's Covid/isolation related, maybe not - but either way, it just suddenly occurred to me how old I was after never really worrying about age at all.

And not only did I realize how old I was, but I also realized that I did not have the life I wanted or even close. I mean, it's not bad. I love where I live and I love the freedom I have. I have a decent corporate job that pays well, allows me a lot of freedom and is generally pretty cushy (but is not my passion).

Believe it or not, I still don't know what I want to do with my life. I just know that I want to feel that I am fulfilling my potential, whatever that is. I love to learn, I want to explore my creativity, I want to fall in love, I want to connect with interesting people. I just want more than what I have been getting over the past few years and I have been frustrated. I just feel like I want to move forward!

Your post made me feel like there are still myriad possibilities and that the work I need to do is psychological. After that, all the possibilities will open up.