mirror ball 57: when I am very old

What do you want your life to be like if you live to be very, very old?

Dave W:
My father's father died at 66 of a heart attack.  My father wanted to outlive him.  He did...and died of Leukemia at 68.  My older brother (by eight years) and I want to outlive our father, so I'd have to say I want to accomplish that and see what 70+ has to offer.  It is, at this point, uncharted territory for the men in my direct lineage.

Laura Liz:

I would like my older self to be someone who has figured out that perfect balance between energy spent on taking care of others and that spent on taking care of myself.

 

After spending some time with older folks, I've observed that their happiness has a lot to do with physical health, so I try to cultivate habits now that will lead to a happy, healthy body later on.

 

Community is a big one. I used to want several close friends around me, but my generation has changed the meaning of friendship and people don't seem to connect the same way anymore (you know, that facebook generation thing, where everybody is friends with everybody and nobody is really good friends with anybody). It is still my ideal, but I think that a more realistic expectation is now that I will be able to live in a community where I know the people who live and work near me by name. I love that in Eugene, if I'm feeling lonely, I can go to my neighborhood coffee shop and know the people who work there. It's not a close friend, but it's definitely something. I think that will still be very important to me when I'm older.

 

I also want to continue being a silly, romantic dreamer. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and it leads to me getting hurt more often than some, but I've decided that it takes more courage to stay soft instead of walling oneself in.

Steve:
I would like to be bilingual.
I would like to have my husband John by my side and to be surrounded with friends and chosen family, people of all ages, very young to very old, with a few four-legged critters, too.
I would like to have traveled more.
I would like to wear Levis sometimes and a velvet robe sometimes (or both at the same time, depending on the occasion).
I would like to live comfortably, with not too many things.
I hope I will have helped, and that I still help, a good number of people who need it, whether I know them or not.

Jay:
What do you mean "when"? AARP is my most constant correspondent.