They call us “The Elderly”.

[THAT Gurl]

I tell a close friend all the time, God must have a plan for him, and ya'll as well, I wont go into all the details it would take about 5 paragraphs to elaborate, however suffice to say in the past 12 yrs he has been in 1 bike and 4 auto accidents, (none his fault) that the Drs have said should have taking his life. He takes about 35-40 pills a day to exist, forced to med retire at 49 can barely walk with a cane and cannot drive himself.

Bless his heart! See?? That shouldn't happen to someone basically in the prime of their life. Or especially little kids. There are SO many things I do not get about the world, in general. But what I DO get is life is horribly unfair much of the time.

 

[Bravo1413]

She and I have a VERY similar story. Only my hat is off to her. I will be the first to admit if I didn't have pain management I would have gone out to the backyard with a fifth of my favorite scotch, enjoyed a few drinks while watching the sunset and then, when it was "time" taken care of business. There is not a day that goes by since that tree branch fell on me that I do not marvel at the fact I am still here. And, in the same breath, wish I hadn't survived it. All that said, it is an absolute miracle I am up walking around and able to sit here and type this out. I have no idea why I'm still here.

You can tell your wife, from me to her, that I admire her GREATLY.

Thank you… she has researched every day and has been making her own pain meds with natural herbs and essential oils. Sometimes switches shoes several times a day due to nerve damage, but she keeps going. Not a cure, but helps. Hope you find a way to feel better. Keep plugging.

 

[dennishoddy]

Thank you… she has researched every day and has been making her own pain meds with natural herbs and essential oils. Sometimes switches shoes several times a day due to nerve damage, but she keeps going. Not a cure, but helps. Hope you find a way to feel better. Keep plugging.

A high school friend that is Native American (He was a Hollywood adviser to western films)had a mom that was diabetic. It was mid level. I’m not sure what the medical term for that is. The entire family was totally into tribal history and actually had a medicine man she consulted. He had her on natural foods she gathered in the woods as well as store bought foods. She got completely off insulin, living a long life.
These highly processed foods will kill you.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

Boy howdy, this one has went all over the place! My generation vs your generation vs that generation lol

@HillsideDesolate leave these ‘ole geezers alone. Easy on the bourbon too bro… take care of your liver. We’ve got to outlive these superior boomers so one day we can be the old farts telling gen z/gen alpha how weak they are (if western civilization is still stable that is)

Y’all boomers definitely got to experience the golden era of the USA. I wish I was there… Im an old soul in a millennial timeframe

Stay at home wife, 3 kids, blue collar tradesmen, own my property, no social media other than OSA, drive older vehicles I fix myself, raise/butcher my own meat, drink my whiskey straight and my coffee black…

 

[THAT Gurl]

Boy howdy, this one has went all over the place! My generation vs your generation vs that generation lol

@HillsideDesolate leave these ‘ole geezers alone. Easy on the bourbon too bro… take care of your liver. We’ve got to outlive these superior boomers so one day we can be the old farts telling gen z/gen alpha how weak they are (if western civilization is still stable that is)

Y’all boomers definitely got to experience the golden era of the USA. I wish I was there… Im an old soul in a millennial timeframe

Stay at home wife, 3 kids, blue collar tradesmen, own my property, no social media other than OSA, driver older vehicles I fix myself, raise/butcher my own meat, drink my whiskey straight and my coffee black…

You kids are the reason I still hang around here! Damned old men my age are nothing but GRUMPY!

 

[Pstmstr]

You kids are the reason I still hang around here! Damned old men my age are nothing but GRUMPY!

Grumpy used to be a charismatic positive guy like me until you ruined him.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

You kids are the reason I still hang around here! Damned old men my age are nothing but GRUMPY!

It's because we're all married...

 

[JoeUSooner]

I remember a cartoon when I was a kid, and you just reminded me of it, don't remember the name, had a little guy that was dressed as a wizard. At the end of the episode he would come on and say "Always be what you is, and not what you ain't." That's good enough to be a life lesson.

Yes. The cartoon was called "Mr. Wizard," and I watched it every week. Wiz spoke with an almost-German accent. He constantly had to rescue a neighbor kid (named "Tooter" - who was a turtle, by the way). And Wiz' final words to Tooter each week were... "Be just what you is, not what you is not. Folks what do this is the happiest lot!" Sadly, Tooter never learned his lesson, and kept getting into trouble.

Cartoons back in the '50s and early '60s were phenomenal! 'Tom Terrific,' 'Nudnik and Omicron,' 'Deputy Dawg' 'Beanie and Cecil' and even 'Rocky and Bullwinkle'... God, I miss all those!

 

[bigred1]

Yes. The cartoon was called "Mr. Wizard," and I watched it every week. Wiz spoke with an almost-German accent. He constantly had to rescue a neighbor kid (named "Tooter" - who was a turtle, by the way). And Wiz' final words to Tooter each week were... "Be just what you is, not what you is not. Folks what do this is the happiest lot!" Sadly, Tooter never learned his lesson, and kept getting into trouble.

Cartoons back in the '50s and early '60s were phenomenal! 'Tom Terrific,' 'Nudnik and Omicron,' 'Deputy Dawg' 'Beanie and Cecil' and even 'Rocky and Bullwinkle'... God, I miss all those!

Drizzle drazzle druzzle drome... time for this one to come home.

 

[AV-8R]

Yep. The economy in the 80s was much like it is now. I had a co-worker who got married. She and her new husband took on a mortgage loan that was 24%. Yep, you read that right -- 24%.

I was a wild woman but used protection -- took the Pill. Some times that **** doesn't work. I could have gotten an abortion I suppose but I'm not cut that way. So ... I had a baby and proceeded to work 2 jobs until he was 3 and I married. Back down to one job. Alas ... My taste in men back then was atrocious. My ex- turned out to be an alcoholic (nope, love is blind -- I really didn't realize it until I had another). The day I accepted a job offer from a hotel in Dallas I also found out I was pregnant with my third. Back then if you were pregnant and looking for a job you were SOL.

I wound up single, unemployed, on welfare, with 2 and 1/2 kids and cooking, in a single-wide trailer I paid $75.00/month to rent. Oh yeah, no heat or air. Those were GLORIOUS times.

I have heard it all -- I am:

a heathen (yes),
a whore (if I'm honest, yes, but if I'm supporting myself what I do in my off time shouldn't be anybody else's business but mine. That's how it works for men. You guys couldn't "be boys" if it weren't for women like me willing to do the deed without strings. ),
not good enough to keep a man (see above),
a bad mother (see above),
a bad daughter (because I chose to shelter my kids from the physical abuse I suffered as a child)
a ***** (usually because I stood up for myself but sometimes, yeah, I was a *****)
gonna die old and alone (Grumpy asked me to marry him in 2000 -- WELL after my prime and with 3 teenagers in the house. Of course if I hadn't been controlling him with sex (his ex-'s take on things) or pregnant (also his ex- but I had a hysterectomy in '86 so THAT would have been a feat in and of itself),
homeless (I bought my house when I was 40?? 41?? I'd have to go back and look)

I mean the list goes on and on and on. I didn't get the things I have from family money, or because I was smarter than the average bear (quite the contrary), or because I married well when I was young.

I got where I am (comfortable) because I worked hard and I got lucky. No ****. I had NO ILLUSIONS about what was gonna happen to me. I was gonna work until the day I died. I knew that.

Why? Because the only person I could rely on was ME. Grumpy was a surprise. Nothing I could have ever planned prepared me for him. And that is both good and bad. But honestly mostly good. I don't know why he stays but then he will say the same about me. We are a match made in heaven I guess.

My point is ... Things aren't that much different than when we (Boomers) started out. Well except we didn't look for someone to blame for our problems. It NEVER occurred to us to be professional victims.

Y'all want something?? Then stop looking for someone to blame about how hard life is and get to work. Work as many jobs and have as many roommates as you have to to get enough money in the bank and then go get the things you want.

I was a single mom, collecting NO child support, with 3 kids, working 3 jobs when I bought my house. EVERYBODY except my realtor said I was wasting my time and my money. It has turned out to be the single smartest thing I have EVER done in my life -- right after cutting my entire family off (should have done that WAY sooner than I did) and marrying Grumpy. I still have NO idea why he thought that was a good idea but I'm glad he did.)

I hope when you are my age you can look back and smile like I can. Was it hard? Well it wasn't a lot of fun sometimes but we live in the greatest country in the world. No where (especially if you are a woman) do you have the freedom to live your life like you want to. Thing is that's a double-edged sword. Sometimes it's good, sometimes not, but either way, at least I had a choice a lot of people do not. Same for you guys. Y'all have choices other folks around the world dream of.

Ooops ... Sorry ...

THAT is an outstanding story and so right on!
Determined woman - I love it.
From a retired Marine Colonel - with the most respect - Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas to you!