When I was young, one of my favorite songs was the Beatles’ bouncy hit “When I’m Sixty- Four.” That age sounded ancient to me, but like most people who’ve arrived there (I’ll be 64 in two weeks), it’s not so old.
In fact, it’s almost scary how young it is–will my limited resources last until I die? How long will I live? I’ve inherited a fair amount of longevity–both my parents are 87, and in good health. In fact, my dad is very healthy. His dad lived to be almost 100, and I fully expect he’ll survive into his 90s.
In addition to the financial side of things, there’s the possibility of dementia or other diseases that will affect my quality of life. I don’t really want to be a burden to others. But when I think of that, my mom is requiring a lot of effort on my part, and while she has memory loss, she doesn’t have what I think of us dementia. She’s a burden I can bear. I don’t want to lose her.
Same with my dad. He’s not requiring anything from me right now, but he could in the future. The thing there is, these are my parents. I don’t have any children. Who would I be a burden on?
Today’s bloganuary prompt asks what are my thoughts on the concept of living a very long life. I really don’t know. Like I said, I don’t want to be a burden. But at what point do you determine someone is a burden? Frankly, we don’t have a whole lot of control over those things. Is it a bad thing to age and have health problems?
Well, I’m only 64. I could die tomorrow, or I could live another 30 years. Either way, I’m going to have to leave this in God’s hands, because I don’t have the answers.
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My World With Words 
I worry about this too. I worry about running out of money, as well as not having someone to take care of me if I needed it. I could probably be happy in a safe, clean, comfortable retirement home with others close to my age to be friends with, with nurses available for any medical help I need. BUT, how do you know that your retirement home will stay safe, clean, and comfortable? I’ve heard terrible stories about conditions there. I don’t know. It’s very complicated to think about… 😦
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It is complicated, and scary. There always seems to be a shortage of good workers, and that problem will likely get worse. I try to plan ahead, but things can go wrong.
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It sounds “crazy” to a lot of people, but I long ago decided 80 was my desired age to live by.
I do think that, even though some people may not have children, living to an older age AND having health issues still presents a burden to society in different ways, whether it’s the physical or financial cost of aging. And the United States seems to have a flippant perspective when it comes to the elderly and aging.
Anywho, I shall hop off my soapbox now lol
Your mother is very fortunate to have you ❤
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Thank you! It’s a complex issue. I don’t have a desired age, but I don’t want to be a burden. So wherever that puts me, but who determines if someone is a burden? And what do you do if they are? Oh well.
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That’s true too. A lot of that we make up in our heads.
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I’ve always heard to ‘plan for the worst and hope for the best.’ But way too many things factor into that. When an older man calls me ‘young lady’ who is he kidding? We both smile, but really–how old is too old? I don’t even want to think about it, Belinda.
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That seems to be the consensus (I talked to a couple of friends in their 70s about this). The future is scary when you get to a “certain age.”
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I’ve always gone with the outlook our minds create way more bridges than we’ll ever have to cross. Since I don’t know when or if challenges will come my way, I just do the best I can to make sure I don’t contribute to any potential obstacles, either physically or emotionally. And to be sure, having faith!
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I’ve never thought of it that way–thank you!
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