At what point does a person become a senior? Identifying the various stages of life are more difficult than ever. People are living longer and it becomes easier for people to deny that they are getting older and losing a step along the way. Everyone pretends to be young except the young.
People in their 30s want you to think of them as older, wiser, and more worthy of respect. But somewhere in their 40s, people start denying their age and doing their best to convince the world that they are not a day over 25. They do this even as the joints start to ache and their breath gets harder to catch during a daily run.
In one’s 50s, that daily run becomes a daily walk. You are no longer interested in running with the young bulls on the basketball court. Your doctor has you on the same cholesterol medicine your dad used to take. And for the first time, you start seriously wondering how many good years you have left.
You are still a long way from being a senior. Both men and women do everything in their power to put it off. But at some point, people start treating you like a senior. Strangers call you sir and ma’am. One day, someone makes the mistake of saying you are a handsome woman, or a distinguished gentleman. You notice that at the cash register, the twenty-something gave you the senior discount.
Before you know it, and very much against your objections to the contrary, you have become a senior. More difficult realities are ahead. Here are three you should know are on the way.
Driving Is a Riskier Proposition
You might have to surrender your driver’s license. People around you don’t want to say it out loud. But it is becoming obvious to everyone except you that you are not as good of a driver as you used to be.
Washington collision repair shops can help you deal with the body damage to the car from the occasional garbage can that snuck up on you when you backed out of the driveway. But there are bigger issues for you to worry about.
Despite being the safest drivers, seniors have the highest accident/death rate. Seniors wear their seatbelts, drive slower, and are least likely to drink and drive. But despite taking more precautions, senior driving is a riskier proposition.
All the driving tips in the world will not change the fact that your eyesight, reflexes, and other senses are not what they used to be. Consider transitioning into a driverless lifestyle. Your golden years will be just fine without the stress of driving.
Loss of Independence
At this stage of life, many seniors start clashing with their kids about selling the family home and moving into a full-time care facility. No senior wants to feel forced to get rid of a home they have worked for all their lives. Unfortunately, improving your daily life might include giving up a bit of independence.
Often, seniors downplay things like falling or confusion. But it can be a deadly oversight to forget taking your medicine as directed. Your kids have a right to be concerned about you. Letting them help you with some of these big decisions can not only prolong your life, it can improve your life.
You Are Not in Charge Anymore
Before you became a senior, you were a leader, perhaps even a master of industry. You have become used to people deferring to your expertise. Whether it should or not, all that is about to change. And younger, less experienced people are in charge, now.
This is a natural progression. Rather than trying to hang on to power at all costs, you have to accept and let go. Accepting the fact that someone else is in charge is not the end of an era. It is the beginning of one.
Transitions can be hard when we don’t want or ask for them. But aging comes to us all if we’re lucky. Like it or not, driving is riskier business. You will be less independent. And it is someone else’s turn to be in charge.