How Old ARE You?

Two weeks ago, I turned 62.  That seems like a rather astonishing thing to me.  I mean, I know that it's not like turning 100 years old, but on a personal level, I have never actually known a 100-year-old person.  I did get close, as The Tim's maternal grandmother was 99 years and 8 months old when she died.  But I didn't know her very well, though until the last two years or so of her life, she was involved in life, even if she wasn't physically active.

But I have now outlived my father by nine years, and my mother died when she was 69 years old, so it's kinda weird to realize that.  I do have a lot more aches and pains, and I move more slowly than I used to (though no one would have ever really called me "quick"), and God knows I have a ton more health issues than ever before.  But I've been thinking about getting older, and I realized the other day that although I *know* how old I am, I don't always feel like an older person.  And I'm guessing that in this day and age, that's the case for a lot of people.

I think an awful lot of it has to do with the shift in our culture.  Yes, I realize that in some ways - advertising,  products, TV, etc. - it's all about young people.  I'm guessing that to some extent that has always been the case, it's just not been so prevalent, because in the past life was lived at a slower pace.  But I can remember when I was growing up, that people in a lot of way just looked older at a certain point, and I think they were expected to act that way as well.  I remember when I was ten years old, one of my cousins got married.  She was in her mid-twenties (you know, an "old maid"!), and she had always been a really pretty woman.  But after her marriage, the person who used to wear her hair down or in a ponytail, and wear shorts in the summer or two-piece swimsuits, suddenly turned into a matronly-looking married person.  She always wore her hair pulled back into a bun, and stopped wearing shorts altogether, opting for a shift dress or occasionally, slacks.  When I'd see her at the local park's swimming pool, she would always be wearing a black one-piece swimsuit, and unless she was actually in the pool, she wore a long coverup.  All of a sudden, she looked a whole lot older.  I can recall pointing this out to my mother, and her responding, "Well, she thinks she needs to look married now."

A puzzling statement to me, since my mother was married, and she dressed "normally," meaning that she was clearly older, but didn't dress like she was a matron.  Granted, there were times when my sister Nancy (who was the only one who knew how to sew at the time - we all later learned in self-defense) would hem a dress or sweater for her, turning it into a mini-skirt, and she wouldn't wear it, because she didn't want to "look like a goddamn fool," but for the most part, my mother dressed a lot like people do today who wear clothes they like that fit well. 

And I think that's one of the reasons I've never associated age with looking/acting/dressing a certain way.  I will admit that I see people that in my opinion are trying just a bit too hard to look younger than they are, but a) it's none of my business, and b) if that makes them happy, go for it.  But I still enjoy most things I've always enjoyed.  I still wear the kind of clothes I've almost always liked to wear, and my tastes in music, TV, etc. are in line with that even if they are not exactly the same as before.

So how old am I?  In some places, I'm already a senior citizen ("Over 55") and can get a discount on a hotel room or a car rental.  A few of my contemporaries are already grandparents.  My co-workers think I am ancient, and keep asking me when I am going to retire (which sadly does not appear to be any time soon on the horizon).  I am automatically left out of some discussions or events because of my actual (sometimes perceived) age. 

The good news is, that since I have pretty much always been my own best company, I don't really care for the most part.  I'm an introvert, so I'm just as happy to not be invited to most events.  It does annoy me that I get left out of things at work sometimes, for no other reason than my age. 

I'm still me.  I am still often immature in my tastes, I am likely to find inappopriate things funny.  I am also a responsible person and have adult, more thought-out opinions, and certainly have the freedom to make my own decisions.

But how OLD am I?  Am I 62 years old?  Yes.  But to be honest with you, I have NO idea what that is suppose to mean.  I just keep hoping I have a lot more years left to keep trying to figure it all out.  ;-)

Have You Ever Done Pilates?

Approximately 20 years ago, I had a job where a gym membership was included.  At the time, I was not much of a conscious exerciser (meaning I did a lot of moving around, but not specifically for exercise reasons), but I saw that they offered a beginner Pilates class and I was intrigued.  It was a 6-week session, and though I was not good at all at doing most of the exercises (as flexibility has never been my forte), I absolutely loved it!  One of the best things that resulted from it was the improvement of my posture.

The person who taught the classes left, and they didn't replace her, so I bought some DVDs which I used for a while.  Not the same as the class, but it kept me going.  Then our DVD player died, and DVDs in general went out of fashion for the most part, and I did other stuff for a while.  But I always wished I could go back to Pilates.  There were plenty of places offering it, but it was either a) really really expensive, or b) there were no beginner classes and though they would assure you that the classes were "all levels" they were not. 

About a month ago, I saw a Groupon for a local place that offers Beginner Pilates classes.  I e-mailed them prior to buying the Groupon, and was assured that this was truly a beginner-level class, including most people who had never ever done Pilates before.  So I purchased the Groupon.  And immediately, was unable to make it on any of the Saturday or Sunday mornings the class was offered!

So yesterday I decided I was going to book a class ahead and make that my commitment for that morning on that day.  The Groupon is for 10 sessions, and I am hoping that by the end of that time, even if I can't afford to continue at the place the beginner classes are offered, I can keep doing Pilates somehow, even if it's by following an online instructor.  I'm also pleased with myself because I have made a reservation for the class, and though I can cancel if necessary, I take reservations *very* seriously for things, and am unlikely to cancel unless something serious comes up.

I'll keep you posted, but I'm feeling hopeful.  Before when I took the classes, I felt so much better, I really wanted to keep going, and also felt that it helped me keep up with other activity.  I'm hoping that between these classes and the coming of spring weather, I'll have more opportunities to get myself back in the groove with bicycling.  Unlike a lot of people I know (including The Tim), I don't really enjoy riding my bicycle when it's really cold, or wet, or icy.  So I tend not to ride at all during winter.

I'm also happy with myself now that I have done something that is a "plan."  I'm really good at being self-disciplined - my problem is that I'm not good at doing anything to get started.  Hopefully this will lead me back to some of my better habits.

Have you ever done Pilates?  Did you like it?