Does anyone feel old and useless with age?

And, how are you, Ray ? I know you would be an interesting friend. Those people are just missing out, don’t you know !

"Warm" greetings, Ray (@ray666) ~ Are you wishing for jacket weather, too?
It seems (to me, anyway) that you might be asking just a tad more of yourself than you could, given the traumas you've endured in the 3 short years that I've known you via Connect. Let's see -- having an incurable condition (PN) upend a career you really enjoyed, dealing with some scary and life-altering months of Sepsis, moving, and then the shock and loss of your life partner, which hasn't even been a year ago yet. I'm not saying you shouldn't have goals or work on the healing that your wonderful counselor is helping you through. Quite the opposite. I find myself panicking at some of the same invitations that you described, and I opt for Zoom meetings almost exclusively even when the in-person gatherings are right here in town. I know my limits and what's safest in the long run and I'll gladly accept a ribbon for participation. Besides, it doesn't take up any room on the trophy shelf and can double as a bookmark, thereby cutting down on dusting & decluttering, and finding a use, as well. Two birds with one stone - at least! 😃
You have built into a bunch of lives here, all with recuperation and recovery in your own. No need to wait till next week to claim that gold and at least bronze.

Cheers, Ray!! 😄 ~~ Barb

@bjk3
Hi, Barb

We're enjoyed some jacket weather right now. And along with the coolers, some bursts of rain. We could use many more bursts. This drought is something fierce.

What's it like where you are?

I respect and deeply, deeply appreciate your saying I needn't be too hard on myself. However, I doubt I'll change, not much, anyway. The way I am with myself these days is pretty much how I've been with myself all of my life, for so long now that I don't really feel that I'm pushing myself too much. It'd be silly to do it, but let's do it anyway: On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being you're like a wet dishrag, and 10 being you're your own Marine boot camp drill sergeant, I'd guess I'm about a 7, easing back to a 6 every so often, but crossing over into being an 8 when circumstances call for an 8. 🙂 I'm happy. And if I can say that honestly, especially considering the things that have hammered me in the past 18 months, I'm probably not doing myself much harm. (At least I hope I'm not!)

It's so delightfully cool here again this evening that I'm going to use my oven and mae something good for supper. Since it's been so hot, I've cast good sense aside and been miking (mic'ing?) frozen dinners––but this evening I'm going treat myself to something oven-cooked. (See? On a scale of 1 to 10, that's me being more like a 4, maybe even a 3. 🙂 )

Cheers, Barb!
Ray (@ray666)

@dederickve
Hi! Me? Am I the Ray you're asking about? Guessing that I am, I'm 81. A happy 81. And since the topic is "Does anyone feel old and useless with age?" I should answer "Nope." 🙂 A while ago, I was asked for my favorite decade, and I said, "This one." And despite my neuropathy, I really meant it. (Fingers crossed I'll continue to mean it. 🙂 ) ––Cheers! –Ray (@ray666)