Birthdays really need to start going backwards...

So I've finally turned 55 and qualify to post in the seniors lounge.
Given that I have 12 years left of working life before I can get pension at 67, I feel somewhat stuck in a sort of middle-aged limbo.
Did anyone else feel like this when they hit their mid fifties?

Quote:

Originally Posted by East17 So I've finally turned 55 and qualify to post in the seniors lounge. Given that I have 12 years left of working life before I can get pension at 67, I feel somewhat stuck in a sort of middle-aged limbo. Did anyone else feel like this when they hit their mid fifties?

It think once there is a path to retirement, there is a big "What now?" or "What do I do with the rest of my life?"

Some call it a midlife crisis, but to me it is getting down to the things on my "bucket list" that never seemed possible. If not now, when? So that spurred me on to see what I can do with what I have.
@CANDC

I am retired ESU, make a plan for retirement and stick to it, I can't tell you how many DIB I rolled on , that the spouse says "S/he just retired yesterday , and they didnt know what to do with themselves", That can be fatal . If I have seen it once I seen it a hundred times.

Just before sunrise is the witching hour ,when newly minted retired people die ,simply because their job was there life ,no job no life and there body just says I am done .

Talk to anybody who's worked the job , it's one of the first things you learn ,make plans ,find hobbies ,live your bucket list everyday , keep yourself alive ,by giving yourself another career , you have traveled so far to have time to yourself , to have Golden Years don't give that up .

I recently turned 58. I've found my 50's to be quite a ride. A real roller coaster. Sometimes I feel really lost, in a major way...struggling to re-find my life's purpose. Occasionally, I feel relieved to be a a more mature place in life.

I'm 72. I think a person's 50's & early 60's are awkward. You're still too young to think of yourself as old. But you're also not really young anymore. I gave up having anything to do with my birthday many years ago. For a long time, up until quite recently in fact, I had to keep reminding myself I was / am as old as I am. But lately I've begun to feel my age. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. It creates some congruency between how old I really am in years and how I perceive myself. There's something to be said for that...

I hear you @Skeezyks. When I stop exercising I can feel the difference in my body.

I guess for me it is a matter of "use it or lose it" so I keep on exercising and doing slow gentle yoga and I keep on going.
@CANDC

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Originally Posted by BethRags I recently turned 58. I've found my 50's to be quite a ride. A real roller coaster. Sometimes I feel really lost, in a major way...struggling to re-find my life's purpose. Occasionally, I feel relieved to be a a more mature place in life.

Hi @BethRags
Yes 50's are a time that I started thinking about legacy and what I could leave to make this world a better place.

Volunteering is a nice outlet for helping other people and helping myself. Most of that is online now, but it is a good feeling to bring a smile to someone else.
@CANDC

Quote:

Originally Posted by Misterpain I am retired ESU, make a plan for retirement and stick to it, I can't tell you how many DIB I rolled on , that the spouse says "S/he just retired yesterday , and they didnt know what to do with themselves", That can be fatal . If I have seen it once I seen it a hundred times. Just before sunrise is the witching hour ,when newly minted retired people die ,simply because their job was there life ,no job no life and there body just says I am done . Talk to anybody who's worked the job , it's one of the first things you learn ,make plans ,find hobbies ,live your bucket list everyday , keep yourself alive ,by giving yourself another career , you have traveled so far to have time to yourself , to have Golden Years don't give that up .

@Misterpain
I think a big part of what makes jobs so much a part of life that without things seem bleak is the routine. The good news is we can create our own routines so when Monday rolls around we can slip into our shoes and hit the ground walking.

For me exercising helps a lot. I have 6 exercise classes I do every week and other exercises on my own. I also like to cook which is good. My mother says "You will never starve as long as you can cook!"

@CANDC

I turn 60 in June & am just starting to feel the effects of aging on my body. The knees have started to ache...I've developed a "pandemic gut" which makes me winded going up & down stairs... I'm putting off surgery on my shoulder because I wore it out playing baseball & softball over the years, etc. My body used to be able to take a lot of abuse without feeling any consequences. Those days are done.

Thanks for the reminder that exercise can slow down the aging process, CANDC. I know that when I was speed walking (low imact exercise) 10-20,000 steps a day I felt much better. I've got to get back to it.