Getting older kinda sucks

"When I look back I find it hard to fit all the past years into such a short length of time."

Yea, time will do that. I was recently asked if the 42 years I worked at the US Patent Office seemed to last for ever and I admitted that in retrospect it seemed to zip by pretty fast.
 
Yeah, getting older kinda sucks, but there are things that suck worse. Like getting old without a feeling of purpose. That's what got me on the path of X1/9ism to start with.
About 5 years ago, my father nearly drowned (at age 81). As he was recovering, he wasn't doing anything or moving toward anything. Just being. We decided that fixing up an old car would be something we'd enjoy doing together, that would help him feel productive again. Dad became fully engaged. He started hunting cars on Craigslist, looking for a suitable project. That was the beginning of Fiat Therapy. It was one of the best decisions I could have made. We worked on the car together a couple nights a week, and he'd often be working on it in between our sessions. Without a doubt, he was a bigger part of getting the car back on the road than I was. And the time spent together was worth a lot more than the car.

We're all getting older, and at 53 there are times I whine about my body not cooperating like it used to. I whine a lot more than my Dad did 30-some years ago... He was too busy doing things to whine. Now at 86, we're eager to get then next car done while he can still enjoy driving it, a bit.

Perspectives change. Priorities change. Redefine the goals to keep them in line with the perspectives & priorities, if necessary. But keep working toward a goal. Your own goal. And enjoy the process along the way.

Sorry to jump out of nowhere with all that philosophising...

-Brian
 
carl said:
"When I look back I find it hard to fit all the past years into such a short length of time."

Yea, time will do that. I was recently asked if the 42 years I worked at the US Patent Office seemed to last for ever and I admitted that in retrospect it seemed to zip by pretty fast.
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Hopefully you didn’t have to suffer through searches for some of my patents :) I am sure some of them would have been tedious. As in, seriously, they are trying to patent this?
 
Being 25 and listening to all these stories, you guys really do inspire me to be a better person overall. I hope to one day be as wise as all of ya.

You guys are awesome.:cool:
 
Been resisting this thread as yes, getting older is something else. Your brain still thinks you can do anything and your body is saying otherwise. When I first started at my current employer, we had a rather famous engineer (as car engineers go) working with us and we had a 60th birthday party for him. He looked like f'ing Santa Claus! (still does actually) Sixty is only eight years away for me! I had cancer when I was 39, suffered a vestibular loss on one side that knocked me on my a$$ for months in my 40's, but worst of all, my wife got sick. Been taking care of her for 20 years. Not a damn thing I can do to make here well. I think one of the reasons I like cars and mechanical things so much is that they can be fixed to be like new. People... not so much. Treasure your good health if you have it!
On the bright side when I look back at what a dumba$$ I was 20 years ago, I have to laugh. I wish 52 year old be could tell 32 year old me a thing or two. I hope 72 year old me will find 52 year old me laughable as well. There is so much to learn! I hope I never lose my curiosity and passion. At that point, I will truly be old.
 
kmead said:
Hopefully you didn’t have to suffer through searches for some of my patents :) I am sure some of them would have been tedious. As in, seriously, they are trying to patent this?
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In my career I examined more patent applications than I can count and age has made them all into a giant blur. I worked in the civil engineering arts so if that was the area of your patents then I probably saw at least a few. I did learn not to trust any first line supervisors (I eventually become one myself), a good friend of mine who was a supervisor asked me if I had ever changed the clutch in my 84 GTI. Since he had an 83 GTI I assumed he was inquiring about how to do it....when I said I had, he immediately told me I would be working on clutch patent applications from his unit!

Oh yea, that's the other thing about getting old, you start recounting stories from your youth!
 
Three old men are sitting around discussing old age. The first old man says "I would give anything to be able to take a good piss in the morning. These days I have to work to get a dribble going." The second old man says "I miss taking a good dump in the morning. Now days it's all prune juice and laxatives to get things moving." The third old man says "Every morning i take a good pee at 7am and a huge dump by 730am." The other two old men say "What are you complaining about?" The third old man says "I don't get out of bed till 8am."
 
An old couple in their 90's had their check up's and the doctor said they where physically fine but had memory issues so they should consider making notes to help remember things.
Later on they were home watching television and the wife said she would like some ice-cream.
The husband said he would get it.
The wife said maybe you should make a note.
The husband said he didn't need any note.
Then the wife said and some strawberries so maybe he should make a note.
Again the husband said he didn't need a not.
Then the wife said and put whipped cream on it so you better make a note.
The husband testily said ice cream strawberries and whipped cream I don't need a note! and heads off to the kitchen.
About twenty minutes later the husband come back with plate of bacon and eggs.
The wife looks at it with a bit of disdain and said "where's the toast?"

Jim started it....
 
Hitting 60 this year (HOW is that possible?!). I bought my '82 X used and have had a lot of sorting to do. I think I'm finally at the point where I'm not worried to drive it.
My '81 Fiat Spider, on the other hand, I bought new and that is and has always been bulletproof (knock wood).
 
Emotional thread.
Feel like a kid with my 39 yo, just hope that i would still be able to enjoy this hobby in later age, when i could pay it more attention.
Right now it's work, work, kids, work, kids, kids, fiat.
 
Many great posts (and jokes) :).

One thing I forgot to mention that I try to keep fresh is the notion that if I keep a youthful attitude and positive outlook it will help. I'm not hard-wired to be an optimist, so it can be work. Physical disabilities aside, I recall the disparity between my two grandmothers - one who (it seemed to me) spent every waking moment talking about everything that ailed her and how she couldn't do x y or z because it would be too much for her. The other, who always presented a positive attitude and always tried to be an active participant. Neither could have been more than 60, if that. So, when I'm feeling negative about something (especially) age-related, I try to shift my attitude. Doesn't work all the time, but it's worth the effort.

I also remember feeling so "old" in my 30's - getting divorced - I felt like my life was over :D With the help of others, I ended up going back to college, changing careers - many positive things came from that, that I didn't or couldn't see at the time. So, I try to keep all these things in mind when facing new challenges.
 
Certainly not Ian- "Old" with the "e" is reserved for "Shoppes", like "Ye Olde Malt Shoppe". ;)
(Notice how I used an example of something you might remember from your youth).:)
 
Jefco said:
"Shoppes", like "Ye Olde Malt Shoppe". ;)
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Hey Jeff, funny you should mention "Ye Olde Malt Shoppe"!! We have a VERY similar version of one of those good ol' milkbars in a village, not too far from my place!
Strangely enough, it is owned and run by the grand-daughter of the dear ol' girlie that started it up many years ago! I often go there because she still serves HUGE ice-creams in a cone!! :)

cheers, IanL - NZ
 
Okay I decided to win this getting old working on Fiats, June 10th did a simple tune up one X1/9 and tried figuring out lighting problems with the other X1/9. Ended up with a little chest pain while working on the cars. I got to spend the last 10 days in the hospital.Last Friday I got to have a triple bypass.
Now I am typing on the Xweb site from my hospital bed as I am looking for parts to buy for my cars. Fiat x1/9s are a disease might kill you. You should get rid of your cars and parts real cheap. Maybe in September I can start working on these killer machines again.
 
toddr124 said:
Okay I decided to win this getting old working on Fiats, June 10th did a simple tune up one X1/9 and tried figuring out lighting problems with the other X1/9. Ended up with a little chest pain while working on the cars. I got to spend the last 10 days in the hospital.Last Friday I got to have a triple bypass.
Now I am typing on the Xweb site from my hospital bed as I am looking for parts to buy for my cars. Fiat x1/9s are a disease might kill you. You should get rid of your cars and parts real cheap. Maybe in September I can start working on these killer machines again.
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eeeps!! glad you got the bypass before it bypassed you!

Take care!!!!!

Odie
 
toddr124 said:
Last Friday I got to have a triple bypass.
Now I am typing on the Xweb site from my hospital bed as I am looking for parts to buy for my cars
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Todd, mate! Take a bit of "friendly advice"!!
I know you will possibly feel a little sick after reading what I am about to advise you what to do!
Here it comes......sell your X1/9 and all your stash of parts!! :eek:
Buy yourself a TOYOTA, (you will NEVER have to pick up a wrench again), also buy one of those lay-back easy chairs that you can place in a sunny spot in your lounge-room, order a morning newspaper (to be delivered to your home address) and sit back and read the newspaper for the rest of the day!! :rolleyes:
It's called RETIREMENT!!

cheers, IanL - NZ
 
toddr124 said:
Okay I decided to win this getting old working on Fiats, June 10th did a simple tune up one X1/9 and tried figuring out lighting problems with the other X1/9. Ended up with a little chest pain while working on the cars. I got to spend the last 10 days in the hospital.Last Friday I got to have a triple bypass.
Now I am typing on the Xweb site from my hospital bed as I am looking for parts to buy for my cars. Fiat x1/9s are a disease might kill you. You should get rid of your cars and parts real cheap. Maybe in September I can start working on these killer machines again.
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It does get better so hang in there.
The third day after I got home from the hospital I was out sanding the front of my X19 getting it ready for paint.
Had my bypass three years ago this father's day.
Bypass is a snap, it's the arthritis that is the bitch.
 
toddr124 said:
Okay I decided to win this getting old working on Fiats, June 10th did a simple tune up one X1/9 and tried figuring out lighting problems with the other X1/9. Ended up with a little chest pain while working on the cars. I got to spend the last 10 days in the hospital.Last Friday I got to have a triple bypass.
Now I am typing on the Xweb site from my hospital bed as I am looking for parts to buy for my cars. Fiat x1/9s are a disease might kill you. You should get rid of your cars and parts real cheap. Maybe in September I can start working on these killer machines again.
Click to expand...
I am glad you are doing well Todd.
 
81x said:
Emotional thread.
Feel like a kid with my 39 yo, just hope that i would still be able to enjoy this hobby in later age, when i could pay it more attention.
Right now it's work, work, kids, work, kids, kids, fiat.
Click to expand...

That's not bad. I noticed Fiat get in your list 1/7 of the time. That's much better than I could account for in the last 18 years. I will turn 59 this summer. In the last 6 weeks I worked 1 hour on my Fiat, 3 hours on my Bertone, 4 hours on the lawn tractor and countless of hour on the swimming pool . The same pool I allowed my wife to order with the condition I will NEVER work on it. And we haven't start talking about the kids...

Anyway, the idea is it's a hobby. You could do it whenever you have the time. Some are making progress at a steady speed. For myself, I got another one as a driver cause the Fiat was taking too long...
 
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