Getting Old, by Betsy

After pondering this subject I have to say I believe getting old when applied to the human condition is a state of mind. Of course, we attain old age simply by living and staying alive for many years. But getting old means more than that to most people. To me it implies a downward spiral to the end of our life in its current form--the only form we now know. We do talk about our clothes, electronic devises, machines, houses cliches as “getting old.” However in this case “outdated,” worn, or over used may be a better description of what is happening.

Here I want to discuss what getting old means to me and most people I know today.

Literally it means we have lived a long time, right? But implied in the phrase is the notion that we can no longer function as well as we have in the past because we are getting worn out.

Life is a journey. Getting old means getting closer to the end of the journey we know as living. But most of us do not know where or when that journey ends. If I were on a journey around the world, and I did not know where or when the journey was to end, would I not want to continue to experience every day to its fullest? It would be impossible to rush to the end, even if I wanted to, since I know not where or when the end is.

And so, until I have arrived at my final destination or can see it clearly, I will try my best to live everyday to its fullest.

I realize this is very short, but I must stop here as I am getting tired, it is time for my nap, and my arthritic fingers are screaming at me.

© August 2, 2015

About the Author

Betsy has been active in the GLBT community including PFLAG, the Denver Women’s Chorus, OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change), and the GLBT Community Center. She has been retired from the human services field for 20 years. Since her retirement, her major activities have included tennis, camping, traveling, teaching skiing as a volunteer instructor with the National Sports Center for the Disabled, reading, writing, and learning. Betsy came out as a lesbian after 25 years of marriage. She has a close relationship with her three children and four grandchildren. Betsy says her greatest and most meaningful enjoyment comes from sharing her life with her partner of 30 years, Gillian Edwards.