There are things I expected as I aged – wrinkles, graying, etc. Other things were complete surprises.
Eating habits – The amount of food I eat has dropped considerably. I don’t buy apples or oranges in bags anymore because they rot before I eat them. I used to eat 8 pounds of oranges in a week no sweat. Same for most other fruits. It’s not just me. The beloved husband eats a lot less than he used to. Our activity level didn’t drop. Just our food intake. Oddly we haven’t felt the need to eat an early bird dinner yet. Perhaps next year.
Reading time is nap time – When I worked I had trouble reading late in the evening. I figured it was because I worked all day and was tired. Now I have trouble reading in the afternoon.
Picking up a book at 3 p.m. is a sure sign I’ll be fast asleep shortly. I still can’t read at night. I have two short windows to read, in the morning (who reads in the morning?) and right before dinner.
Noise rage – My tolerance for noise has gone south (probably with my hearing). Yesterday I was on (phone) hold for a while. The music was classical but not soothing classical. It was choppy and annoying. I had to hang up or risk being cranky.
I was in back of an “old souped-up Dodge” this morning in the Starbucks drive-through. For ten minutes I listened to his motor chugging like a 747. He felt the need to occasionally gas it. I was feeling the need to drive into him and smash it to bits.
I’m in an eternal search for quiet restaurants. It’s not cool. When I was young I liked fun noisy bars with lots of people. Now I prefer to hear what someone is saying and not a lot of them either. The less people the better!
There are a few other surprises but I’ll save them for another time.
Perhaps you would like to share your biggest surprise.
Views and Mews by Coffee Kat 
I am in my early twenties, so I can only talk about my experiences. I think lately I have been trying to be more observant and having more meaningful conversations. Do you have kids? Also, in the past if you kids and during the time they were living with you do you find that you use to eat more and around them having a big appetite?
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Pingback: Reflections on aging — Views and Mews by Coffee Kat – Change is Never Ending
I prefer quiet restaurants with no kids. My biggest surprise is that I don’t sleep the way I used to but wake up on and off most nights. I remember my grandfather talking about that. Parents would ask him, how did you sleep? Now Husband and I ask each other that. lol
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Children out of control in public with those moms who weakly keep saying “stop it”) and car horn honkers in heavy traffic. I can manage to tolerate ( most mornings) the 4-5 small yapping dogs that go out every morning at 5:30 am and bark constantly, but not the kids that need to be taken to the car if they can’t be quiet or the honkers…oh, OK the dog people are moving…much cheering has been heard all up and down the block
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Noisy kids! Yikes! We had a dog nearby that was very yappy. He moved and I actually missed the noise. He had a happy yap although he could drive my husband crazy.
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I just want to sit quietly outside and read or something without small dogs anxious nervous bark-a-thon – at absolutely nothing. Molly doesn’t understand it at all. She’ll sit staring at the fence/noise and never says a word until she’s had enough and wants to go inside. I just don’t undersatnd how people can sit outside with the dogs and tolerate that noise without tyring to make them stop…maybe I’m being cruel – maybe the owners are deaf….nope.
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I don’t get it either. I couldn’t live with it.
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Well, one thing I just learned is I still must be somewhat young. Thanks for putting that extra pep in my step today.
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You are young!
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I’m surprised by how bored I am with our circle of friends. All nice people but no conversations of interest. I sound like such a snob but I have realized I’ve outgrown the same conversations over and over. Would rather stay home with Hubbs where we pick the food, we set the temps and we choose the music – 🙂 MJ
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I hear you. From my limited experience it’s best to have a mix with some active friends (working people, adult children, etc.). Sedate retired folks (and not all of them by any means) don’t often have current interesting stories to share.
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I’m just plain surprised that I’m aging! How’d that happen? 😜
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Sometimes I’m amazed I have survived my youth!
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🙂 🙂 🙂
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I have those three oh clock in the morning end of the world thoughts or feelings that I have said something wrong to someBODY. I grab my laptop and watch Tinykittens to banish those fears. I am surprised by how I need to keep cool all night. Even when the heat is on, I need the ceiling fan on. The noise thing is BIG for me, I need quiet. Also, I was and am totally shocked how my body has dried up/dried out… somebody really should warn you about that. Also, have no patience… probably from the before mentioned issues. I could go on and on but I will spare you!
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Yep! Have those all. My skin is now both oily and dry (what’s that about?). Hot and cold, alternating constantly. We should write a book on it but no one would want to read it.
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I sure do relate to the sound sensitivity. I am not at all sure what that’s about, but it really is troublesome. By and large it is a very noisy world we live in. When the neighbors gardener gets going with all the power mowers and blowers my family runs for cover. I go through a complete personality change, but I can’t seem to help it! 🙂 I look forward to hearing what other changes you note. I wish I ate less…lol!
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The noise sensitivity was a surprise but so were most of the others. It’s not just preferring it quieter, it’s getting really agitated when it’s not.
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I know what you mean! Quiet, cozy restaurants are so much better than those with televisions blaring. My home is now my haven; even if I do like to get away for an outing everyday.
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I don’t think I ever enjoyed the noisy bar scene but now I like it as quiet as possible. My hearing isn’t great and loud background noise interferes with conversations.
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I think my biggest surprise is how little I care about what my peers are doing. I used to be interested in [nosy about?] what everyone was doing. Now I go my own way, listen if someone wants to tell me their stories, but mostly just smile and say “okie dokie then.” Indifference is wonderful. So sorry I didn’t stumble on this earlier. 😉
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I’m with Ally Bean . . . I just don’t need to be “in the know” anymore. I’m not interested in keeping up with all the ups and downs and ins and outs of people’s lives.
“Just the highlights, please!”
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Indifference is wonderful. I just don’t care. When someone started telling me things sometimes my eyes bug out. The more detail the bigger they get. I try to get them to wrap it up because it’s rude to say, “that’s nice but I don’t really care.” I also don’t care if I’m excluded from something. I don’t wonder what’s wrong with me. I celebrate that there’s something I don’t have to do.
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Kate, so much agree: “I celebrate that there’s something I don’t have to do.” 🙂
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Someone was explaining why I wasn’t invited to a party recently. I was so hard not to smile and do the snoopy dance! Yes I am bad. I do love parties but there are some that just aren’t fun. I call them duty parties and I don’t do them as often as I used to.
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Parties + People = Perfect Together . . . as long as I’m not there.
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I like your term, duty parties. I’m happy to not go to any more of them, or their cousins, duty dinners. 🙂
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Once in a while they surprise you and it’s fun but not usually. Somehow they seem related to funerals.
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I fear that I’m starting to drive like an old lady. Not slow all the time, just overly cautious. Changing lanes on the freeway requires looking over my shoulder many times just to make sure another car hasn’t magically appeared in the other lane. Driving at night makes me nervous too. My eyes don’t work as well at night than they used to.
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I’ve never enjoyed driving and I drove in north Jersey. I can get lost in a paper bag. I will decline things that require a lot of travel unless it’s something I really, really want to do.
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Just the weird stuff that comes along with an older body. The aches and pains. Who knew?
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I don’t have too many of those but the loss of energy is mind boggling.
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Yes, yes, and yes…:) It really is strange how that works. Even my food preferences have changed. Things that didn’t appeal to me in the past now do, and things I loved in the past are a take it or leave it proposition.
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The food thing was a big one for me. I eat very differently now. I rarely eat more than 1 slice of pizza even for dinner. I don’t crave the desserts near as much (maybe I can blame that one on my declining hormones) but I still love my dairy.
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You aren’t really old until you eat the early bird dinner (and even then, I’m sure you can come up with an excuse that means it isn’t because of age)!
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That’s right! It’s not an age thing . . . it’s a money saving proposition with the bonus that the restaurant is quieter and less noisy and quieter.
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I’m with you Nancy. We don’t do it often but I like to get to one of my favorites no later than 5:30. Better service, less noise and the food is just as good as it is at 6:30. I’m not usually hungry at 4 to hit the beginning of the early bird but if I can’t get it at the end, I’m good.
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Yes!!
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My husband and I used to eat dinner around eight o’clock each evening. I now find myself wondering if 3:30 is too early. If there is a word for lunch-dinner (linner?) please let me know!
Donna
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They call it tea time in England and it includes some great food that isn’t just crumpets.
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I must be in denial (apart from the getting up during the night)
I teach yoga at least twice a day, eat like a horse and feel darn good….
xo
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You are doing good. I don’t think I ever ate like a horse!
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I can’t seem to put my mind to half the things I used to. I used to read three or four books a week, now I’m lucky to finish one in as many months. I don’t like noise either, resent boom boxes in cars with a passion, and have no tolerance whatsoever for screaming brats! Food habits have changed dramatically over the years anyway, and finally I seem to have got the balance right in getting the weight issue under control. I’m exercising more than I ever have too. Bed time is between 9 and 10pm, so no more late nights for me either!
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You have done really well in the food area. I don’t do as much reading either and that was a big disappointment.
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🙂
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Once upon a time, I loved staying up late and watching television, reading and just pretty much enjoying life. I hate to say it but these days, I have to be in bed no later than 9PM or I’m an ill pill the next day. When did this happen?? And I’m with you 100% on restaurants. Do you remember way back when they use to ask you smoking or no smoking? I think now it should be children or no children. I love children but I don’t want to hear them crying and running around my table. Do you know what I mean? XOXO – Bacon’s MOM
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I do know what you mean and one time we walked into a restaurant that had some tables with lots of kids. I asked for the no kid section. I got seated in a nice back corner. It was wonderful and we were all happy.
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Exactly! There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s suppose to be a night out for us too, right? I’m not being crappy when I ask for that kind of section. I just want quiet – 🙂
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If I’m paying to eat I definitely want to enjoy it.
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I’m often surprised by my lack of wisdom. I thought people got wiser as they got older. I didn’t. Maybe it’s because I feel I’m 26 years old inside my head. I’m old enough to know how to do things, but I’m not into handing out advice. I can feel as insecure and hesitant as a teenager, and if my rosacea acts up, I look like i have zits. Who knew a second childhood would be like this?
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I know how to do things but often don’t want to. Especially sewing. I can do any kind of sewing (drapes, reupholstery, clothes) but it’s hard to get me to hem something.
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Oddly enough, I mended a tie for John today and stitched part of the hem of a towel that had come loose. If I’d had you to talk with while mending, it would have gone much faster.
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If you were nearby I’d bring you a basket of stuff to stitch!
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My surprise has been the inability to sleep. I sleep four hours and then I’m wide awake. When I was in college, I could sleep for ten hours straight.
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My problem with sleeping is the 3 a.m. wake up where you think the world is ending for one reason or another. It can keep me up the rest of the night. I’ve learned that a half tablet of Xanax will banish those fears. Aside from that I sleep a good 8 hours a night. My mother and brother were never long sleepers but I didn’t get that gene. I don’t sleep late but I can sleep.
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I thought I was the only one who had those thoughts…mine are at 2 a.m. 😦
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No you are not. We just have different schedules.
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The night time getting up multiple times to visit the bathroom…..ugh! Last night, because it had been 85 degrees here (20 degrees above normal) the house was warmish. My bedroom, heated by two dogs and me, was alternately warm and ok all night, but I was awake at least 15 times Doze off, wake up, toss off blanket, only 10 minutes had passed since last wake up period. Ugh.
The restaurant noise…..we often go to our local watering hole on a Saturday for a nice salad and hubs gets a good steak. We’ve taken to eating a bit earlier so that we avoid the louder crowd. One night Hubs lost his appetite because the music and celebrating folks at nearby tables were so loud. Not awful, just celebratory loud. We just want a nice quiet meal but we want to support our local business. We live in a small town with only one place to eat. We now get our meal to go if the place looks busy.
Yep, feelin’ old and cranky.
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Oh yeah! I have to sleep covered even when it’s hot. Don’t know why but I think it has something to do with someone telling me about spiders crawling at your at night when I was a kid. I have a throw that I use for extra heat or as a standalone during the winter. (My husband does not share my fetish on covers.) I swear it’s like a waving flag some nights. Off it goes. On it comes. Off it goes. (and that’s in 10 minutes). Getting food to go is a great idea!
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Nearly got coffee up my nose from “I felt the need to smash it to bits.” That’s me all the time. Even though I try and practice empathy and understanding, I mostly fail. I find utter disregard for other peoples’ eardrums incomprehensible, whether it’s blaring music from car speakers (windows down, of course), or dragging three cranky children to a sushi restaurant and ignoring their shrieks while guzzling California rolls.
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I never thought I’d be so sensitive to noise but I am. And a lot less tolerant (except for a crying cat which needs a hug). We were recently in a restaurant. It was fairly large and empty. However the hostess sat us (4 old couples) next to a couple with 4 kids who were screaming and throwing food. I noticed that they had finished dessert so they were leaving soon or I would have asked to be moved. I have no problem asking for a table away from noise (including little people noise).
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I’m right there with you, except I refuse to give up my ten minutes of reading before bed. So far I’m winning on that one, but only because I go to bed about 9:30. (Of course, I’m up very early as well.)
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My husband can do that. I can’t. My head hits the book. I thought I’d be reading a whole lot more than I do these days. I can read blogs without falling asleep though. Mostly….
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My head hits the Kindle too, but I am still stubborn and refuse to give up on my few minutes of reading before bed!
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Good for you!
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I wouldn’t say it is the biggest surprise but getting up several times in the night to go to the bathroom has to be near the top of my list. Just when I can sleep in as long as I want to, I can’t!!!
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Getting up once wasn’t a surprise but I am a regular twice a night person now and sometimes three times. By the time I’m 90 I’ll have to move my bed into the bathroom.
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I must be up at least four times a night. My brother-in-law recommended Saw Palmetto supplements. I spent $14 on a bottle and have taken them religiously since I got it. I haven’t noticed any reduction in my nightly visits to the bathroom. I wish I could count at as aerobic activity at least.
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You are young to be a 4 tripper. I never heard of the supplements but it doesn’t seem like they work.
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