How do you deal with aging?

Hi @cekkk,
How fortunate you are to have such good health.
Seems that your main concern is maintaining your house??? Hmmm, one day that ‘building’ will be sold to a stranger. Right now you have the wonderful opportunity for some creative living. All 3 of your daughters want you to live with them, what a blessing .
Why not sell the house and move into your daughters’ homes. You could live 4 months a year in each home; becoming a deeper part of your grandchildren and children’s lives. Then with the financial benefit of selling your house, you could continue cruising !
If you”had any sense” you would use a scooter.. wow, I love to use scooters. I enjoy shopping at Costco… not a statement many can make!… but I use the scooters! They are great!!! And a good place to try them out. Takes about an hour to get used to them, and they are big! Shopping is no longer a trial; I can get things quickly, and they help you check out . .. it’s great.
A scooter on a cruise would be brilliant. I had a dear friend who wanted me to go with them on a cruise, with a scooter - I got sick so couldn’t go, and then she suddenly died- yes, the ‘if onlys’ are sad.
While you are blessed with good health, please think of your advantages in grabbing hold of life in new and exciting ways . And get cruising’!
Let us know of your decisions and of your new adventures!
All the best!

I stared using a cane before I was 40--having been disabled by illness and surgery at age 21. I started a bit before I absolutely "needed" the cane so as to force myself to not be vain, as in--I'm too young a woman for this, it doesn't look good, etc. Let me say I love that cane and the mobility it gives me at 70. It is now my old dear friend (and I have many cute ones). I can imagine why you'd really enjoy some cruises. So, a question--have you ever tried the scooter? Would it be good--fun even--to use one in some low key situations to see if you like it? And/or maybe go on a short local cruise to see if that works before embarking on something more ambitious? However, I also understand the feeling that travel might be too much. There are ambitions I just don't have. I'm guessing you do have "sense." Consider what kind of compromises or strategies you'd feel ok about. Tell us how your thinking develops, if you feel like it.

I am 75 years old, and have made a study over years now of the subject aging well. My wife and I attended Mayo clinics HABIT program, I AM the caregiver. A great deal was learned a year and a half ago And adaptable into normal aging to improve wellness over time.
More of my study and learning was from the three books in the images added here. I recommend any of these three. They are available on Amazon audible for those that don’t read well still well but still listen well.

I appreciate your comments and certainly want you to know That I recognize. that your situation is far more serious than mine. Regarding the scooters, I do use them in grocery stores and all the larger box stores. But I have been on several cruises and there's just a whole bunch of walking from cabin to elevators and elevators and elevators to wherever you are headed, Not to mention boarding and deboarding. And one of my greatest joys is walking the decks. I particularly enjoy ports of call when the majority of my fellow passengers head off to see the t-shirts in thirty different languages while I feel I have parts of the ship to myself. I just can't imagine rustling with a scooter In those situations.

Thanks for your response--I'm glad to understand your thinking more. It sounds as if you understand how the scooter works for you, and how a cruise works for you--and that the scooter may not be the right solution. I've spent a lot of time trying to get out in nature in ways that can work for me. The results have been imperfect, but more good than not. To be honest, I can really only do it because my husband supports me. He was surprised to discover that if he said "good job" I could go further. Anyway, your experience is of interest to me as I continue to work on mine! Thanks again.

I want to be you when I "grow up!" (I'm 80 years old and still can't wrap my head around my age.) Your attitude is amazing and I want to thank you so much for sharing.
Happy Birthday in 5 days!

Thank you for your good wishes. Seriously, what can you actually do? You wake up in the morning and there you are. Why get so upset? I will say again that I feel fortunate that I am in good health [for my age - lol]. The only thing that bothers me is not knowing whether or not I will still be this way as I age. I do not want to be a burden.

In my case as a large city dweller, I often use events at the library where many talks of my interest are offered -- with a chance to mill about with others, tho I (like others) find many come with their own bunch while there are others just to socialise around games (checkers, scrabble etc) and some specialised ones like Death Cafe. I go wherever there is a decent chance to initiate some conversation.

So Monday I'll be attending retired people in lifelong leaning on Democracy with material to cover over over 14 presentations by Participants over 3 months. I've signed up for a three more like Physics, News of the 2-weeks etc.

Also there are a few Meetup.com run events that are publically available often free like Skeptics, walks, Humanists, Philosophy. The choice is vast, many have offering in large US cities.

I type in the browser to find what's available with search terms that suit me: other day I wanted to see if I could offer free /volunteer tutoring to new comers.

In the past there's been meetup for people with cats, as I have one. Or walking in snow in local parks, or even started my own to meet over coffee to talk about topics of stress management/ healthful eating etc.

My reason to participate is less to do with Learning and More to do with striking a friendship. So if that opportunity is minimal, I have no use -- after all one can learn on their own in one's den over the screen! BUT leaning attitude is also an indication of being open to new experiences=Curiosity. The most human trait that defines us -- and we pay dearly (in diseases and early disability both mental or physical) when we let it starve.

Hope you find what is Enjoyable and gives a sense of accomplishing what's worthwhile in your life! Good luck!

@sisyphus Thanks so much for the specifics.

Lots of good ideas here, and I find some solace in knowing there are others for whom the possibility of connecting is as important, if not more so, than the topics themselves - lots of learning to do, to keep on doing, even if on my own, but the forum for learning with those equally curious provides a certain "soft landing" for even making the effort.

Best wishes to you too on this journey.

Not trying to be confrontational, just hoping to orient you to what is to come: what will you do when the time comes when even a scooter is no longer sufficient for you to 'cruise 3 or 4 times a year?' The answer, of course, is to STILL not travel. Sssooo......................................................................

The missus and I just got off an HAL Mediterranean 18 day 'romantic' cruise that took us from Civitavecchia/Rome south to Malta, east to Turkiye (Kusadasi/Ephesus), Athens, Katakolon/Olympia, Sarande Albania, back top Malta, Sardinia, Naples/Pompeii, Civitavecchia again, Corsica, Villefranche/Monaco, and we disembarked in Barcelona. It was crowded, busy, blazing hot (for we denizens of the PNW), and hectic......but we got 'er done. Unforgettable. 😉