Topic : Are You Afraid to Age?

Yes, when you are a child, you think you will always be youthful and look youthful. There's no comprehension until you get up there in years. I am 52 but look several years younger, probably mostly heredity, but I also exercise regularly and try to eat right most of the time. I like to look as attractive as possible and am dreading it when I'm all wrinkled and bent, if that happens, and no longer being attractive. I also will not ever seek out medical makeovers. You are so smart to be thinking of how much influence you have with your girls in these areas. It's hard enough to be a girl in this day and age and deal with societal standards. I have a body image/self image problem and am obsessed with food and have times of overeating all the wrong foods. I wish I could change and be happy with myself, and like myself the way I am, and be ok with the changes that are happening. What a world we live in!!

Why do people get old? Because we can't (physically) remain as we were born. But why are we born? It's all so strange.  We're born so we can get old and die? I know, I know, there's that whole "we're here to make a difference thing" or "serve he who created us "  Still... nothing. 

The thought of getting old is, once again, strange. I am a freshman in college.  During my senior year in high school I experienced something similar to a mid-life crisis.  I finally realized how fast my youth was disappearing.  I began doing things, some questionable things,   I had never done before. AND IT WAS FUN.  Now,  I fear responsibility and age like I fear math:  it's all one big evil equation... and it doesn't mattter how many times I puch it in the calculator... without the proper equation it's always going to be wrong.

I don't want to be another number in the system... and most important, not a large number. But I don't want to live so fast that I die young.

I'm not afraid to age.  My mind is sharper and I'm smarter than I was when I was younger.  Aging to me is just a number.  I'm turning 40 in a few months and just want to have a party to celebrate.  

I didn't get to where I am in this life on my looks and if that is all that someone is looking at, than maybe that's the bigger question.  Are you afraid to look aged?  My answer is still no.  We all go through it.  Why do we think we have to look prefect?  What makes someone with no wrinkles prettier than someone with wrinkles?  If on the inside they are unhappy, they can get rid of all the wrinkles they want and they still won't be happy.  Happiness grows from within not from the outside in.  I'm no cover model, never have been.  I've had my moments of insecurity, but I have great friends and coworkers who help me through and remind me what's really important.  Also, what happened to the believe that beauty is on the inside. . . not the outside?  Why have we allowed this country to become a country obsessed with the outside image?  Don't get me wrong I enjoy seeing the "beautiful" people or "eye candy" as some people call them, but once again that's only their outside shell.  Does that mean I want them to be my friend or lover because they "look good"???. . NO.  At anytime anything can happen to our outside image to mar it, but if the inside is strong we will survive.  If we as parents don't teach our children the importance of what's on the inside, we are doing a huge disservice to them. 

I guess the only thing I am afraid by aging, is to not being able to do the things I love to do.  For example I do hiking almost every weekend.  I wish I will continue for a long time and I have some big mountains in mind to hike in the future.  In my group of hikers there is a lady who is 77 years old.  I think the secret is living a healthy life with no extremes in any field.  Lately I had to go to the hospital for a small problem and I ran into a friend with whom I used to go to high school.  She has a perfect body and a cute rather sensual face.  She always could get any man she wanted.  Indeed she married a pilot from a very rich family.  She is still married and she has two kids.  She seems happy and energetic, in control as always.  But after 15 years of not seeing each other, among the few things she told me, she chose to say that her kids had her body.  She did not talk about their face or temper but their body.  (And she is not stupid, she did complete her degree.)  Well I am glad if they have a great body, really.  But I also realised that all these years I did not miss a shift of evolution from her part.  She used to be and still is so narcissist and I guess used me as others to feed her narcissism.   On my side as I enjoy my health in the thirties but I can’t wait to see what I will understand about life and my self later on.  Every year I come up with a greater understanding of life which gives me greater peace with myself and the world each time.

Not afraid one bit. It is normal to age. But I do sometimes worry and wonder what will happen to us when we reach a time when we will need residential care or a nursing home. Who will take care of us??! Population is ageing fast.

I am going to be sixty in December and I can't find one thing that is good about getting old except I think I am a smarter, wiser person.  I have always been criticized especially from my estranged family that I am not pretty enough, smart enough, I'm not an interior decorator and I'm not rich but I do think that I am a nice person inside.  Fortunately for my estranged sister, she turned out perfect..  Does narcissism mean that a person is only concerned about their feelings and no one elses feelings?  I think my estranged mother is narcisistic.  Regarding getting older, my body just doesn't want to move as fast as it used to and some days I feel older than others.  But, I work part-time and that keeps me active.  In my case I've only slowed down in the past  year so you don't have to worry so much about aging.  This is my first time responding to anything online ever.  Sometimes I just think I need someone to talk to.  Have a good day!

I'm 53 and live in Vegas. Just had a lower face life this past July and darn glad I did. I'm single and have an online ad, and do lie about my age by 5 years. Hopefully, none of the men online will find this out!

I don't look my age, these guys don't even believe I'm 49, lol. If you're single most men online who are 50 don't want a 50 yr old women. They think they only want to sit at home with the grandkids.

I was scared about the surgery, but have one of the best mds in Vegas! Do your research if you're thinking about having any procedures done!

The first impression people get about you is how you look, how you present yourself, how confident you seem. For some, once you open your mouth it's all over, lol.

I exercise 5-6x a week and watch what I eat. Also, over a year ago, I lost over 100 lbs. Weight that was put on due to family stress. So, I moved to Vegas, cut off ties with my family, lost the weight and had the surgery. Lucky for me, my body isn't saggy.

The thing I'm afraid about most is losing my mind, getting dementia. My father had severe short term memory loss and that scares me the most. If you don't have your mind, you have nothing.

So, do whatever it takes to make you feel good about yourself!