At what age did you start to feel "old"
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I hear you. I played very competitive fast pitch softball on Okinawa in the Army. (We won the All-Island title and went to the US Forces Pacific tournament in Hawaii.) Played 1B and some C. Being a lefty wasn’t a disadvantage playing C in fast pitch softball. Our starting C was our #2 P so if he pitched, I caught. I couldn’t possibly even get into that crouch now. I would need a team of chiropractors to untangle me.
You are lucky that you only have stents, and, I assume, had an angioplasty for the blockage. In May 2018, I went in for an angiogram and what the doctor originally assumed would be an angioplasty. It turned out I had a 95% blockage in the artery that feeds the “widow maker” and the main artery feeding blood into the lungs right above the spot that it splits into those two. Because of the location, they couldn’t do an angioplasty and had to do a double bypass.
When I saw the cardiologist a month later, he said I probably would have been dead within a month with a 95% blockage and I should have had a lot of damage to my heart. Instead, he said they found no heart damage. The pulmonologist had done tests on my lungs and discovered that my lungs were 5 times more efficient using oxygen on a short-term basis than normal. That was the reason I wasn’t dead and likely the reason I had no heart damage.
Two years later, the major difficulty I have resulting from the operation is that because they took one vein out of each leg to use for the bypass, my feet fall asleep more often. A small price to pay!
I was 46 staring at my computer one day and it was all fuzzy. I actually thought my computer was malfunctioning. It took like 3 days til I realized it was me... I want from 1 pair of cheaters too two too 10 laying around the house in my truck travel bag etc. I was I the grocery store about 2 months back they had this big bin of cheaters for like 3.95 each I bought 4 pair. My hips and shoulders ache sometimes so between 46-47 it started to happen. I met my gf who I have been with 5 yrs live together for two.she was 28 I was 42, the people who set us up thought I was in my mid 30’s. She admitted later she was a little freaked out by it at first. Funny thing is her stepdad is 11 days younger than me.
A couple years ago in my mid 40s, someone legitimately thought my wife was my daughter. While she does look young, she's only 3 years younger than me.
Another time was probably the first time being called sir by a younger person. Don't remember when it was, but remember that it felt different.
Another time was probably the first time being called sir by a younger person. Don't remember when it was, but remember that it felt different.
Had emergency surgery 3 years ago in Phoenix///one 100%. 2nd 80%, 3rd 40%.
They did 1 &2, 3rd was situated hard-to-get so they stopped there.. Used to get out of breath quickly. now do things I couldn't before the surgery. I'm 76 now, have had bad knees for 60 years. Still get around pretty well, don't feel inhibited at all. A tiny bit of short-term memory loss (that'll feel good in December!!). Still functioning. Attitude determines altitude . Fighting a bit of weight gain, can't get to my gym now....walking more as the weather clears. They just put speed bumps in our complex....I hope I won't trip over them. Bring on tomorrow, next week, and May.
H2P Every loyal son.!
For me, this one's easy:
I was attending a Homecoming gathering on Pitt's campus about 10 years after my graduation. A bunch of of us fraternity guys were standing around, and we were re-hashing some of the crazy times that we had when we were students, when some comely young coed approached me and was acting in a very friendly way.
This went on for a while, and I was feeling quite good about myself standing there, drink-in-hand, talking with this nice-looking lady when she said, "I really like these Homecomings. It's a great opportunity for all of you old guys to get together again like this."
It was...shall I say...humbling? Up to that point in my life, I'd never considered myself to be "old", but apparently others thought differently.
I was attending a Homecoming gathering on Pitt's campus about 10 years after my graduation. A bunch of of us fraternity guys were standing around, and we were re-hashing some of the crazy times that we had when we were students, when some comely young coed approached me and was acting in a very friendly way.
This went on for a while, and I was feeling quite good about myself standing there, drink-in-hand, talking with this nice-looking lady when she said, "I really like these Homecomings. It's a great opportunity for all of you old guys to get together again like this."
It was...shall I say...humbling? Up to that point in my life, I'd never considered myself to be "old", but apparently others thought differently.
Fast pitch softball.. big fan ! My old neighbor beat Eddie Fiehner.. the king and his court..
Yeah I was lucky. They were able to access the artery from my wrist, no damage to the heart itself, in fact they said it is very strong and healthy. So.....it was one of those rare times I paid attention to intuition with my body and headed off something that could have been tragic.
I'm in my late 60's now, but I've always felt younger than my chronological years. I guess it really hit me when I was running and finally realizing that I'm slower than I was even last year. No matter what I did in training or how much weight I lost to make myself lighter, I was still slower than before. That's when it hit me. I'm getting older now. I'm still not old, just getting older.
Be optimistic. That's better than someone thinking your wife was your mother.
I have a friend who's in his early 50s. He's fair skinned, and always stayed out of the sun. His wife, on the other hand, tried her best to get as much sun exposure as she could. She lived in tanning booths in the winter. That, combined with a heavy smoking addiction in her younger days makes her look at least 20 years older than he does.
On a good day he could pass for 40, and someone being polite would guess her age to be around 60.
I hear ya. I could get down now but that would be it. My oldest brother played center field in a fast pitch service league in the mid 50s. They won some sort of championship playing for the air force out of Alaska.
I started getting gray hairs at age 20. I am 53 now and a salt and pepper hair color. I still get around fairly well, just the normal aches and pains that go away with rest. The hair was the start, but I would say age 45 when I had to use cheaters to read was the time for me. I always had perfect 20/20 vision and it was a sad day when I had to put those cheaters on.
Well since you mentioned hats, just thought if another sure signal of getting old.
I used to never where hats. Up until the hair started thinning enough that I had to start wearing one to avoid getting sunburned on the top of the head.
I used to be a big runner. Unfortunately, with ‘gettin old’, I describe it more as shuffling along now.
Also, when walking become exercise?
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You and me both on the running... 70-90 miles weeks was the norm and now the idea of running a sub 5 minute mile is daunting...
I don't get older I get younger.You see senior softball uses 5 year intervals to classifty their teams.The levels are 40,45,50,55,60,65,70,75,80 and 85s.So as you get older you move on to the next level so your always playing guys your own age.I've played 3 tournaments already this year but my next 4 are already canceled.This stinks because we don't know how many games we have left in us.
When you get to be my age and have run like I have, half marathons, marathons, 10K's, 1 milers, 10 milers, if you can run a sub-11 minute mile, you're really fast.
Well, I did a lot of running but sure never came close to touching sub 5-minute even if no more than a 5k. Kudos to you if you did.
This is it!!! In my 20s, when girls would catch me looking, they would giggle, or say hi. By 35, they would give me a look that said my attention annoyed them. This is also when I gained a new first name, Mister, and unlike 10 years earlier, it wasn't little kids calling me that. I'm now at an age where the guys I used to look up to are old men, and the ones who looked up to me, are now seriously showing their age, with gray hair, pot bellies, and grandkids. A guy I've known for years who is about 16-17 years younger than me was talking to a hot girl. When she walked over to talk to someone else, I asked him if the hottie was a new conquest. He laughed, and told me it was his daughter. I really knew I was old then.
Yeah, I have a pool in the backyard and therefore get swimming in in the summer. But I never got the whole breathing rhythm down very well and end up expending too much energy for just a few laps.
Just by coincidence, took advantage of the great weather here in Ohio today and uncovered and opened the pool. Won’t be using it for awhile but aesthetically it’s nice to turn the fountains on and hear the water running.
Only downside, keeping the 2 black labs out of the pool as they both live to swim but the water is obviously way too cold.
I once stumbled across a website that listed world records in the 100 meter dash, by age group. It was very interesting to watch the times rise. Some of the record holders in their 50s and 60s were familiar names that were world class sprinters in their prime. Willie Gault was one. These guys were still actually quite fast in their 50s.
I miss running more than I can put into words... torn and repaired right knee ACL... pretty proud to have run a 4:26 mile at the field house... used to do some training with Roger Kingdom back in the day..
Even though we were in the midst of the Vietnam war, sports were a big thing in the military, and on Okinawa softball was the big sport. My unit, HQ USARYIS, did all of the initial in-processing and final out-processing of all Army personnel sent there. So matter what your orders said, we determined where you actually were assigned. Pretty much anyone who had played college baseball ended up getting assigned to us.
Our captain/backup pitcher, who also platooned with me at 1B, had been playing competitive softball in the Army for 20 years. He learned that the best pitcher in the Army was finishing up his tour in Korea. He had gone there from Vietnam so he could pretty much pick his next post. He had been planning to go to the Presidio in San Francisco but MSG Baumann convinced him to come to Okinawa in return for a cushy job in Special Services, which was part of our command. He was the best fast pitch pitcher I ever have seen. Our CF, a LT, was supposed to have been assigned to the 2nd Logistical Command, probably the worst assignment on the island, but he had played baseball at Bucknell and ended up in Special Services running the movie theaters. There were 100,000 Americans on Okinawa in 1970, including dependents, and the Army ran something like 15 theaters on the island. His family actually owned a drive-in theater chain in NE so the job actually made sense. But the reason he got it was softball.
We didn’t lose a game in 1970. Jimmy pitched all the key games. Stan, who platooned with me at C, pitched against some of the lesser teams and the MSG finished up some of the one-sided games. I think we gave up 2 runs the entire season. None when Jimmy pitched. In the championship game in Hawaii against the Air Force team From Hawaii, Jimmy had the flu. He pitched 7 perfect innings but couldn’t continue. Their pitcher was almost as good. We lost 1-0 in 19 innings: Walk, SB, SAC, Sacrifice fly. 50 years later that game still aggravates me.
I went from Okinawa to Vietnam three times in 18 months, all on temporary duty. Two were only 2 weeks but the third was almost 3 months. None of them were during the softball season. I always wondered if I would have gone on at least one more temporary duty assignment there if not for softball.
When I was 46, about 6 months after completing a marathon, had a horrible experience with a recurring herniated disc problem. Started having issues in my late 30s but was relatively mild. Was at work when it started acting up in the morning. By mid afternoon the nerve pain was excruciating and my entire right thigh was spasming nonstop. Went to the emergency room and couldn’t sleep for two days because nothing would make the terrible pain go away. Nerve damage left my leg almost unusable. My thigh muscle atrophied to half its size with about a week and I literally could barely walk. I fell multiple times including one time down a set of steps. My leg only partially recovered. To this day I probably have have the strength compared to my good leg. That was when I started to really think about growing old. I wouldn’t wish that pain and experience on anybody. Even Pitt fans. 
(I’m a PSU grad but was a Pitt fan in high school before heading to college. I like to hang out here some because I live in the ‘Burgh.)
(I’m a PSU grad but was a Pitt fan in high school before heading to college. I like to hang out here some because I live in the ‘Burgh.)When I was 46, about 6 months after completing a marathon, had a horrible experience with a recurring herniated disc problem. Started having issues in my late 30s but was relatively mild. Was at work when it started acting up in the morning. By mid afternoon the nerve pain was excruciating and my entire right thigh was spasming nonstop. Went to the emergency room and couldn’t sleep for two days because nothing would make the terrible pain go away. Nerve damage left my leg almost unusable. My thigh muscle atrophied to half its size with about a week and I literally could barely walk. I fell multiple times including one time down a set of steps. My leg only partially recovered. To this day I probably have have the strength compared to my good leg. That was when I started to really think about growing old. I wouldn’t wish that pain and experience on anybody. Even Pitt fans.
You are the classic reason why PITT fans and most others absolutely HATE psu... even when it doesn't matter you F'N nitters bring up Peddstate. Just type nittwitt.
God bless you Mike. I loved fast pitch softball. When I got into it in the 70s it was starting to phase out in my area. But in 1985 they had the Pennsylvania World Tournament qualifier about 10 minutes from my house. The team from Reading was here featuring the great Ty Stofflet who was considered the greatest softball pitcher ever. They also had a big pitcher from Canada named Denis Emile. They played 5 games and never allowed a hit. It was an unbelievable show.
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I loved the game. Absolutely loved it. Loved playing 1B where you were on top of the batter. Loved hitting. I never had much power and was basically an opposite field hitter (I’m a lefty) with some very occasional power to left center. But, I had a really nice compact inside-out swing and generally got a piece of the ball no matter how hard the pitcher threw.
Unfortunately, for men the game essentially died in the 70s and 80s. Replaced by slow pitch with huge guys who could hit the ball a ton. No place for me in that game.
For women, the game is still big, but it has changed. It seems like the days of dominating pitchers like Lisa Fernandez and Kat Offerman are gone and there is more hitting than there was. I still enjoy watching it though.
Unfortunately, for men the game essentially died in the 70s and 80s. Replaced by slow pitch with huge guys who could hit the ball a ton. No place for me in that game.
For women, the game is still big, but it has changed. It seems like the days of dominating pitchers like Lisa Fernandez and Kat Offerman are gone and there is more hitting than there was. I still enjoy watching it though.
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