Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

An ode to getting old

Unless we’re dead, we are always getting older. Avoid it as long as you can by remembering to look after yourself, even though you once thought yourself bullet-proof.

Don’t be afraid to admit you’re old; it’ll help you later. Learn to live with the fact you now can’t do a lot of the things you used to do that just came naturally. You need to talk to yourself a lot to remind yourself of what you can’t do anymore.

You’ll learn you’re now clumsy, forgetful and slow sometimes. Learn to forgive yourself, then chastise yourself constructively for making the same mistakes again. Once you learn to live with yourself, you’ll be a lot better.

Don’t spend a lot of time looking at old pictures of yourself. Don’t hang on to too many of your old clothes; they will not look good or fit anymore. Go for comfort and durability. You’ll get impatient with old people, forgetting that you’re one of them. They’ll be slow and loud (they can’t hear very well), and they’ll want to talk about the good old days a lot. They’re out of touch with technology and don’t care, anyway.

A lot of your conversations will be with yourself as you adjust. Make the most out of those conversations.