Emotional and mental health aspects of aging

Lightcycle said:
Our motorcycle school went from teaching theory in person (at the local motorcycle shop, which was tres cool), to doing theory over Zoom.

Yeah, easier on everyone's travel and after-work schedules, but what a horrendous step backwards that was in terms of engagement. I much prefer the face-to-face rapport as well as the inter-student interaction and excitement they shared sitting beside someone who they were going to be learning to ride motorcycles with on the weekend.
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Engagement is difficult over Zoom.

In a classroom, I could keep 30 students engaged. Over Zoom 10 was a challenge.

Few instructors can instantly switch to VILT (Virtual Instructor led training), during the pandemic only 2 of the dozens of instructors we had were able to handle classes of 10 solo -- all the others needed a helper.
 
Mad Mike said:
Engagement is difficult over Zoom.

In a classroom, I could keep 30 students engaged. Over Zoom 10 was a challenge.

Few instructors can instantly switch to VILT (Virtual Instructor led training), during the pandemic only 2 of the dozens of instructors we had were able to handle classes of 10 solo -- all the others needed a helper.
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We had one girl online, her hair looked kinda weird, like it was sticking out all over the place, due to lots of hairspray or something. Okay, fashion choice is your decision...

Then she slowly starts falling asleep during the Zoom session, and I realized she was lying down with the smartphone camera mounted above her head!

omfg.
 
I have a few observations like that. People forget they are on camera, ever notice how often people pick their noses and teeth in a Zoom classes?
 
crankcall said:
Hobbies and interests are really important in my mind . I shoot clay pidgeons every Wed am and have a collection of friends there to talk to . I race sailboats twice a week in the evening and it’s a totally different collection of friends . When winter hits I do a zoom cycling group two eves and Sat am , it’s a hour to cycle , get fit and chat on a zoom group . I’m between that , I go to work .
I thinks it’s important if you’ve alway been social , to stay social. Cocooning in my mind isn’t healthy , mentally or physically.


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I wish I had saved my old cell phones. I would have paid to watch you blast them out of the air.
 
jc100 said:
My best friends are an ocean away. However, when we get together it’s like everything was yesterday whether’s it’s been a few years or a few months.

Aside from that I really don’t mind my own company in my downtime. I can watch/eat/drink/do what I want and do it at my own pace and if anything ever goes wrong the only person to blame is me.

There are friends here that know if they need help I’ll be there too.
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The sign of a true friendship is that one is just as happy to see the other whether they've been away a day or a year.

Have you ever noticed a crowd of gloomy people at a bus top and then one sees a friend across the street and they wave. Their face lights up like it was hit by a ray of sunshine.
 
While I’m not a religious person, the serenity prayer has served me well over time. And Ted Lasso’s father telling him to stay curious.
 
Mad Mike said:
I ran out of things to do by myself.
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<Giggles in Introvert>

If I retired tomorrow (which at 50YO isn't happening unless my wife either agreed to continue working while I became a house husband, or we made some changes to our lifestyle lol) I'd have no problem at all filling my days. There are SO many things I'd love to have the time to do that I can't even get started because there's not time to dedicate to them to see them through, or really fully enjoy them.. but the days and vacation allotments are so precious that there just never seems to be enough, despite having 6 weeks of vacation every year now, and not working weekends. As it sits now weekends are a competition between the bikes, the camper, & the backyard/pool. Full week vacations are a competition between camping, cruising, motorcycle trips, and other vacations.

First world problems, I know.

Plus, you know, introvert stuff. I can sit in my garage all day watching YouTube, or futzing with something on the bike and making a 1 hour project a 5 hour project, or siting out under the gazebo surfing, or whatever, and be totally fulfilled at the end of the day. The thought of taking off with our camper right now and going to some remote crown land hole in the wall in the middle of nowhere and staring at trees and watching the wildlife for a few weeks is stuff that fulfils me. I'd love to get back into riding horses again. Model aircraft. Boating. Travelling for more than a handful of days at a time through the summer with the camper or motorycle . The list goes on and on. SOOOO many things that just realistically need so much time to dedicate towards them that it feels like I just can't DO them because of that lack of time to dedicate.
 
Spoke to her a few days ago, she shared some wisdom, apparently her secret is spending a lot of time with young people.

Hanging around young people keeps you young, open to new ideas and experiences, gives you good energy and good vibes

if she hung around people her age she would start 'acting old' (rigid, stuck in her ways, all the stereotypes you can think of)

She's magnetic though, everyone (and i do mean EVERYONE) loves her.
forget the room, she lights up entire city blocks when she comes around...
 
bigpoppa said:
Spoke to her a few days ago, she shared some wisdom, apparently her secret is spending a lot of time with young people.

Hanging around young people keeps you young, open to new ideas and experiences, gives you good energy and good vibes

if she hung around people her age she would start 'acting old' (rigid, stuck in her ways, all the stereotypes you can think of)

She's magnetic though, everyone (and i do mean EVERYONE) loves her.
forget the room, she lights up entire city blocks when she comes around...
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I had an aunt that sometimes waited at a restaurant and sometimes as a care worker for old people. Her daughter preferred her working at the restaurant because her outlook on life was better.
 
apparently her secret is spending a lot of time with young people.
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Hanging around young people keeps you young, open to new ideas and experiences, gives you good energy and good vibes
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One reason I'm still riding as most are younger than me tho old farts tend to be the road riders here and the young uns are off roaders.
Still ....makes me feel young...cept trying to get my leg over ... :rolleyes:
 
MacDoc said:
One reason I'm still riding as most are younger than me tho old farts tend to be the road riders here and the young uns are off roaders.
Still ....makes me feel young...cept trying to get my leg over ... :rolleyes:
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I look at of road machines and wonder if the side stand can be replaced by a folding ladder.
 
PrivatePilot said:
<Giggles in Introvert>

If I retired tomorrow (which at 50YO isn't happening unless my wife either agreed to continue working while I became a house husband, or we made some changes to our lifestyle lol) I'd have no problem at all filling my days. There are SO many things I'd love to have the time to do that I can't even get started because there's not time to dedicate to them to see them through, or really fully enjoy them.. but the days and vacation allotments are so precious that there just never seems to be enough, despite having 6 weeks of vacation every year now, and not working weekends. As it sits now weekends are a competition between the bikes, the camper, & the backyard/pool. Full week vacations are a competition between camping, cruising, motorcycle trips, and other vacations.

First world problems, I know.

Plus, you know, introvert stuff. I can sit in my garage all day watching YouTube, or futzing with something on the bike and making a 1 hour project a 5 hour project, or siting out under the gazebo surfing, or whatever, and be totally fulfilled at the end of the day. The thought of taking off with our camper right now and going to some remote crown land hole in the wall in the middle of nowhere and staring at trees and watching the wildlife for a few weeks is stuff that fulfils me. I'd love to get back into riding horses again. Model aircraft. Boating. Travelling for more than a handful of days at a time through the summer with the camper or motorycle . The list goes on and on. SOOOO many things that just realistically need so much time to dedicate towards them that it feels like I just can't DO them because of that lack of time to dedicate.
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I tried retiring at 50. Like you, I thought I could occupy myself with my varied interests. That worked for a couple of years. Having a 5 hour tinker session on a bike is fun when you only have a few free hours a week. A lot less fun if that’s what you’re doing because you’re bored and have too much time on your hands.

After 3 years I was going crazy, I went back to work. Instead of returning to my profession, I took a muck easier, lower paying job and negotiated 6 weeks of vacation and unlimited unpaid leaves if I wanted them.

In the new year I’m working on reducing my workweek to 3 days.

In 3 years when my wife winds up her career, I’ll go full retirement again.

The extra money is nice right now. The relaxed pace of work and generous time off keep me busy in a balance that works for me.
 
I look at retirement, wife is done , but with dog and cat international travel is hard since we will not board the dog . We pay somebody to live here and look after the dog . It adds $75.00 per day to everything. And in race season I like to be here . And I like the money .


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crankcall said:
I look at retirement, wife is done , but with dog and cat international travel is hard since we will not board the dog . We pay somebody to live here and look after the dog . It adds $75.00 per day to everything. And in race season I like to be here . And I like the money .


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I am thinking of going to a 4 day week but was told I can't retire. For some reason my wife doesn't want a supervisor

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My vision/plan for retirement is not to just sit around and do little things around the house and sit on my butt a lot, or whatever, but I'd do things I want to do instead. I'd go work on a horse farm part time again probably, get back into some long lost hobbies like model aircraft and heli's again, etc etc etc. Stuff I actually enjoy. The wife and I would travel with the RV, but instead of 1 or 2 weeks at a time maximum, we'd be gone for months at a time.

And riding of course. I can see the wife and I taking off on the bikes at least once a year for a few months as well, just going wherever the wind takes us out west and back.

I keep hearing about people who retire and get bored or whatever, but I suspect that not everyone has/had a broad enough list of hobbies and pasttimes sitting at the ready to avoid that. Anyone who's ever been into the world of radio controlled/RC planes and stuff for example, well, you know how much of a time sink that alone is. You spend weeks/months building if you're into that, and then it's insanely easy to burn a 12 hour day at the flying field just doing the flying and social parts.
 
Was thinking about this thread last night. Last few weeks we’ve had big Polish party after big Polish party.

While fun, we’re tired. But it helps to unwind and keep young again.

One to keep up with the kids, and secondly seeing all the grandmas and grandpas boogie on the dance floor is good fun.

Let’s just say last weekend I woke up at 2pm with varying degrees of 🤢 throughout the day.

Today…fresh as a daisy. Live music is a treat.

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PrivatePilot said:
I keep hearing about people who retire and get bored or whatever, but I suspect that not everyone has/had a broad enough list of hobbies and pasttimes sitting at the ready to avoid that. Anyone who's ever been into the world of radio controlled/RC planes and stuff for example, well, you know how much of a time sink that alone is. You spend weeks/months building if you're into that, and then it's insanely easy to burn a 12 hour day at the flying field just doing the flying and social parts.
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Hobbies are key to retirement. If you're hobby is video games and sports on TV things may not go that well.
Since retiring along with biking and travel I built a plank on bulkhead pond yacht model and now I'm building a model plane out of balsa. Maybe @PrivatePilot can walk me through the part where you glue on the tissue paper. UT videos show doing the wings but those don't have complex curves.......
 
timtune said:
Hobbies are key to retirement. If you're hobby is video games and sports on TV things may not go that well.
Since retiring along with biking and travel I built a plank on bulkhead pond yacht model and now I'm building a model plane out of balsa. Maybe @PrivatePilot can walk me through the part where you glue on the tissue paper. UT videos show doing the wings but those don't have complex curves.......
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I used to build model airplanes from plans but was under the impression it was hard to find materials any more. Instead one buys a RTF, ready to fly version. The owner of the long gone hobby shop I went to would let you select your own balsa wood once he got to know you. Soft for sheathing, gnarly for stringers and in between for ribs.
 
I didn't want to convolute my other thread with this...

But what's the opinion / recommendation for a mental health check? I just checked my benefits and turns out I've got about $1200-1500 in psychiatrist / psychologist visits that I have never used in my life before.

Not saying I'm on the edge, but with a lot going on sometimes it's overwhelming and I've never used this benefit...although I feel like I should.

Anyone have some insight on this? It could be a sign of getting older...or utilizing the benefit as more of a 'preventative' maintenance type of thing to ensure we keep sharp as we age.
 
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