How I Feel About Getting Old

In 23 more days, I will be 37 years old (um, not like I'm counting or anything).  The Husband likes to tease me and say, I'm on the wrong side of 30. I suppose I am.  I will be another year closer to 40. Slowly approaching mid-life.

I don't care about my age. I've never been one of those woman who wants to be twenty two forever. In many ways, I look forward to the years ahead. From a personal stand point - I have so much to still look forward to. 

But in the last year I've had to think about things like life insurance, living wills and special needs trusts.

I'm not old now. But one day, I will be and I worry about the day when I cannot care for The Boy. 

I worry about that day more and more.   

While at BlogHer I stopped by the Pfizer Get Old exhibit booth. There were a few young men and women wearing t-shirts that said "Get Old" - and that's the kind of thing that grabs my attention. Behind them was a big white wall where everyone was sticking different colored post its. I was asked one question:

 HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GETTING OLD?

The choices were: optimistic, angry, prepared or uneasy.

In case you don't know, my answer was (and still is) uneasy. Check out what other BlogHer12 attendees said about getting old -- HERE.

Based on collected data from the general public 30% of people feel optimistic; 28% feel angry; 11% feel prepared and 30% feel uneasy.  So it's nice to know I'm not alone.

Pfizer wants people to face the inevitable - we will all get old. The www.GetOld.com site not only provides useful information about aging but also invites people to share their thoughts about getting older. 

And to add to the Get Old conversation Pfizer has partnered with: Alzheimer’s Association, Easter Seals, International Longevity Center at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Men’s Health Network, National Alliance for Caregiving, National Black Nurses Association, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, National Consumers League, National Family Caregivers Association, Patient Advocate Foundation, Society for Women’s Health Research, Visiting Nurse Associations of America, and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. 

  

Getting older isn't a subject many people want to talk about. It's a subject young people don't think about. Andi t's certainly a subject parents of special needs children constantly worry about. 

But the more we talk about it now, the better off we'll be. The healthier we live now while we're young, the healthier we will be when we are older. 

It's time to make some changes in my life. I want to be in the groups that feel prepared and optimistic.  

Would love to know - How do YOU feel about getting old? 

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.