[Lynn O. Doughty]

Standing at the checkout counter at Walmart this morning I bumped into an old woodcarving buddy I hadn't seen in a while. I made the mistake of asking him how he was doing! Why is it that around the age of 75 all people seem to want to talk about is whats wrong with themselves physically? I realize the older you get the more aches and pains you have but surely there's more to life than that. Now if this were an isolated case it would be one thing but it seems that just about everyone 75 or older answers the question the same way...and endless list of health problems leaving them one step ahead of the Grim Reaper! Now, being a youngster just butting up against 65 maybe my views will change. But even considering this if you happen to bump into me at some WalMart counter 10 years from now and I start rattling off a list of medical complaints just do me a favor...grab my package of frozen hamburger, give me a good whack and put me out of my misery!

[gene messer]

Lynn .. The way things are going in this world ... everyone selling off their business ... Factories going over sea's ... The cost of teenagers .. Wondering if social security will be there in the future .. The only thing that concerns me is not so much weather I will feel bad at that age or not ..BUT WILL I BE ABLE TO RETIRE BY THE TIME IA'M 75 ?

[Nancy-ID]

Well Lynn, I think it has to do with the fact that once all the health problems hit anything we used to do with ease becomes difficult, maybe even impossible depending on the problem. Then the thought of no longer being able to do what you used to or how much pain simple tasks can cause, just bugs us until it becomes foremost in our minds. Some people (such as myself) when asked a question just blurt out what first comes to mind, like ouch. Some can gear their brains toward overriding the problem, thinking positive, others have a harder time doing that. Then there is depression which may or may not be caused by the health problems, but will magnify them. Ya ain't gotta be over 75 either. It all sucks but such is life. Would be great if everyone could be happy every minute of their life. All we can do is try to find new things we can do that make us happy. Did I get totally off the point again

[GeorgiaCarver]

If going from 40 to 47 is any indicator, the rest of the ride should be a wild one for sure!

[Kenny_S]

As for putting you out of your miseries at 75? Nah, Why should you enjoy peace and quite, hehehehehehehehe.

[AlArchie]

Lynn, a lot of that has to do with our sense of humor.......I think! When some one asks me "How ya doin'?" My usual response is "GOOD, but the day is young!" When I was younger, I didn't have many ailments to talk about. Now I got a bunch of 'em, and when I talk about them it ain't so much complainin' as it is braggin'! "Hey I got X,Y, and Z, and I'm still hiking the back country chasing deer, or picking sticks, or ........and the knee surgery is from getting hit by that car back in '70, and the shoulder, that's from that John Wayne bar fight in '75, the bad back is a compilation of fights and car wrecks, etc! All in all I'm extremely lucky......managed to hobble away from most of those and actually walked away from a few. Oh, and the bum hip? Thanks, Willard! I've seen that guy manually pick up a V-8 engine and transmission and set it down in the bed of his pickup! He did NOT want to go to jail! Yup, I'll talk about my ailments, laugh most of 'em off, and consider myself a very lucky guy to have made it this far!

Al

[btree50]

Lynn, I hope that in 10 years I am the one that meets you at Wally world, I will gladly listen to the complaints. Sometimes a person just needs someone to listen to them. If it takes 15 minutes and a cup of coffee, you made their day. Because someone took the time. Too many people today, are in such a hurry they just dont want to be bothered.
I like AlArchies way, braggin about the ailments. Its like saying, look whats happened to me and I keep going. I am a tough old bugger nothings gonna stop me. We all need to be a bit more tolerant because the next day it could be us standing there.
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[DADDIO]

alot of people when they do get that age,their health is a major part of their life as for as controling what they do and where they can go,and if they don't have a lot of intrest or hobbies they concentrate on that and assume everyone else does too,i'd write more but my carpule tunnel is a flar'n up on me,plus sitt'n in this chair so long has kicked my cyatic nerve in and it's a kill'n me,along with have'n to squint at this puter screen is make'n my eyes water and hurt,guess i'm gonna take a asprin and lay down cause now my heads hurt'n too...

[wade clark]

...speeding toward a brick wall with a walker...it's gonna get us all! The one that puzzles me and happens all the time is, when I say, "How are you today?" they reply "Hi!" I don't think they really mean they're high on something, so why do they say it?
Wade

[Tom H]

Best reply I've ever heard to the question "how ya doin"?
"I'm fine as frog hair! how you doin?" But be prepared to listen.
Tom H