Chasing dreams. (Dreams: Goals). Dreams sounds more exciting than goals, because they are grand, fantastic goals.

You and me against the world....

THAT, my dear, was RUDE. R. U. D. E.

Nothing is forever...::poking you in the eye::

::whispering to Amy:: Maybe it's forever.

::raising arm, jumping up and down:: HERE I AM!!!

OMG! That is funny that the voices call you Lulu. I call Savannah Lulu ALL the time and you both share the same birthday!! Funny thing is she answers to Lulu!! She is a ding dong...then again...so are you. But I love you!

As for being happy... I am not happy. I put up a front. I suppose making people laugh makes me happy. And it makes me happy when I can shock Cheryll with what I say. The expressions are priceless!! And I always need to keep in mind, that things could be worse. There are people out there, that are much worse off then I, even though somedays it doesnt seen like it. As my dad says "It's only temporary Aimer." As I say "It's just another speed bump in this thing called life."

Amy, AMY!!! Cheryll has been calling you. You need to explain to Doc just how it is you keep yourself so damn happy. mumbling to myself.... where the heck it that Amy? She is always off goofing around when ya need her....
maybe that is her answer. GOOF OFF MORE! Shure, that's how Amy stays happy by goofing off.
As for me I find music really plays a big role in my mind set. It is really hard for me to be in a "down" mood if I am blasting happy, catchy, up beat dance type music into my exsistence. I try to be positive in my thoughts even though the last couple of years have been very challenging (to say the least).
At this point in my life I find myself frightened. Scared stupid would probably better describe the feeling. Scared because at 63 our retirement was wiped out, we own tons of money, work has just about stopped. blkahabla BOTTOM LINE.... None of it really matters. We have the most important things one can have. I have faith and love. I have free will and can say or think anything I want and not worry about who is looking over my shoulder listening. I live in the freedom of the good ole USA.
I find that repeating what "the voices" say helps too. They say "Hang in there Lulu everything will be ok!" I don't know who Lulu is but, I just keep repeating it and it seems to be helping?

if I'm having one of those days where i feel old or if I'm feeling down, the first thing I always do is remind myself that no state of mind is permanent, that this to will pass, from that point I either write about how I'm feeling, once I've analysed and written about my thoughts, then I distract myself... with anything other than brain activity, so I cannot dwell on the reasons for sadness or feeling old... etc., i tend to do something physical, or watch a film preferably something funny, or by way of contrast sometimes a film that helps me to connect with the emotions I'm feeling a little better.

love n hugs
debs
xXx

what do old people do. some neighbors i used to have were old. they didnt do anything, except watch tv and eat junk.
i dont think about getting old like most people. i dont have a concept of it, except how it relates to other people. it had nothing to do with how i feel, or whether im happy. i forgot my age once when i was 23. i had to count from my DOB to figure it out. i still get it wrong sometimes. how would you be if you didnt know how old you are?
thats the intrinic factor. besides that, there is that the joy of the Lord is my strength, and the fact that He restores my youth like the eagle.
kïrstin☼

Wow. Kinda like a pop quiz. Excellent question. I feel somewhat uneasy to use word 'old' as some ppl in my family are 90+ and when I am arond them we are not 'allowed' (literally) to even consider ourselves old. However, they don't know about blogging. What have I consciously done?

I accepted a p.t. position, which can be hellish obligation at times due to health but I manage on a very flexible schedule. The contact helps me maintain social skill sets, like active listening, interactive conversation, on-the-spot thinking and civility. Having been a career teacher these skill sets got mucho workout but at retirement (health issues) I knew I was getting too isolated. I also mentor/tutor from home in my professional field. Not income supplement. Their questions open memory files I do forget.

I attend symphony, opera and ballet (not often enough). There are amazing older ppl/matinee rates. With health I am better at afternoon events and join the aging boomer crowd. Sometimes go evenings after all day rest. It is amazing to hear a symphony again years later and was surprised at deeper appreciation. This year, was in theatre and realized when I had first attended an event in teen years! I don't think I anticipated I would be there decades later. Am fortunate have friends/colleagues in biz and get phone calls with 'extra' ticket for sometimes the oddest of experimental plays. This inspires my own creativity. I want to be 90+ and attending because as I've aged I seem to have become so more mature to appreciate the work of artists. Oh yes, art gallery! There is so much gulping big beauty in the world.

I go to Mass. I pray. I neglected soulwork when was a career teacher/workaholic. So recentering a more disciplined spiritual life was a struggle to re-embrace a journey of faith. I just 'feel' better when I do pray and prayer is different than when younger, again feel glad got to live to be older to appreciate more teachings given from oral traditions and within the Bible.

I also have a sense of humour and am gifted to sometimes just see the delicious absurdity of life.

Does it always work? No sometimes I get glum but have learnt due to premature exit from career that I have to do something because misery sure does love company.

Er, are you grading on PASS/FAIL or a letter grade?

Just teasing.

This has not been easy, but after I escaped the hell my drug dealer boyfriend left me to rot in, I learned in rehab that each smile delivers a little dopamine into the system. So I smiled for the next few years and then realized I was alone, and frightened and I stopped smiling. Last year I aged alot. This year I met someone on line and he made me feel briefly that I was loved and amazing results happened. I began to feel younger, lovlier and even more worthy. Others started noticing, and I noticed them noticing. Then he told me that he didn't think it would work out between us, that I was "too" old for him. Okay, but I still smile, doc and I still get the dopamine rush, and he still writes to me, because there is something I fulfill in his life that without me he isn't getting. Okay maybe he won't ever bring me home to meet his mother. Perhaps on cold winter nights I will grieve for missed opportunities, lost love and pine for what I no longer have. I will regret at times I'm sure that I didn't make other choices when I had the chance to do so, but what is the point. No grief, no regrets will bring back what is missed or right the wrongs experienced in our lives. No point in analyzing this shit doc, it's done. However nothing can stop me from dreaming, or hoping or wishing and when I close my eyes its an ideal world I've created and only I can fuck with it. The more crowded, squalid the world becomes, the worse the economy becomes then more and more of us with intelligence will withdraw into our own illusions. Ofcourse this isn't what we planned when we were young and the older i get the more disturbing is the thought that I could become one of those elderly women whom the police will find days after her death, partially eaten by pets. Hey as long as they don't mind the taste, I certainly won't care at that point.

Blessed Be

Hi Doc,
Had to give this one some thought. I don't feel old. At work, when we have a discussion on age, people are usually surprised when I tell them my age. My husband is two years younger, and I have asked him "When did you get so old?" He always says that he IS acting his age, and that it is just that I act 40. He's serious. He insists that I act forty years old. I joking tell people that I missed my first childhood, and I'm having it now, so as not to get screwed out of it. I don't have children. Couldn't have any, so that could be one reason why I never entirely grew up. Never had to be the parent. And rather than sitting around sulking about what I didn't have, I have always filled my time with different interests and hobbies. I love building things. Love power tools. I'd rather do that than housework. Love yard work, and as you know, I have a loft with, at last count, 20 rescued pigeons. I'm always out there playing with them, or nursing one back to health, or hand raising a baby. Or building bird feeders and bird houses for the backyard birds that I feed. I love photography. And love to go out and photograph nature. I also work about 30 hours a week. I enjoy time on the computer. If I didn't work, I'd never be bored. I'm basically an upbeat person. I rarely just sit and relax, as I'm usually doing something, or planning what I'm going to be doing next. Somtimes, when I think about my age, I wonder "when did that happen?" I do have some arthritis, and asthma, and different aches and pains, but they don't slow me down much. I don't let them. My husband is the one without hobbies or many interests, and he's the one who feels old. So I guess it's keeping busy, and feeling needed, and enjoying life, and learning new things that makes me feel good. And I think your general outlook has a lot to do with it. Oh, by the way, I turned 61 this last July.

maybe I share too much about myself, but you asked... Do I feel old? Well... Today I got followed by about 5 pre-teens, down the street. This one red-headed boy, I turned around and looked at, because he was right behind me, and he had a look on his face as if he were a rat that just stole a pound of cheese, and the other kids giggled. I ignored them, and it didn't bother me, but just thought to myself, jeez, you know, one day I'm gonna be that wierd old lady the kids follow down the street and make stories up about.... but then, it's probably better than the alternative, which is, being ignored completely... I kept walking and talking with my friend on my cell phone and didn't give it a second thought until just now... but anyway, I am happy to know that I am wiser than those kids. I used to be that way when I was younger. We used to make up stories about people we knew living in our town (pop. no more than 500 at the time.) The sad thing is, there are still people who act like those kids... so I guess in my "aging", I rejoice that I'm not a little ignoramis. :P

I am alone, but not lonely, I have a job - part time, which I don't really enjoy but do enjoy the company of the people there, until a couple of years ago, I was a scuba diving instructor, gaining that qualification at the age of 49, which makes me immensely proud. and has earned me the respect of people who wouldn't otherwise do so, (as a woman in her 50s) And of course I dive the world, or at least as much of it as I can afford!
I have 3 best friends and of the best variety, a gay male, a woman and a man! (now that makes me very lucky!)
AND I have 4 great kids, 3 boys (29-37) and a girl (26) who are also my friends!
I'm not saying I'm happy all the time, there are down times when I reminisce of lost moments, loves and chances, (not regret) and physically I am not so fit as I was, 2-3 years ago. Which bums me out more than anything. AND I'm not particularly looking forward to getting any older, but it comes on us slowly day by day, and perhaps, I'll not notice it happening!
I have no religious beliefs and rarely read a newspaper or watch the news (there's bugger all I can do about anything, so why depress myself over it all!)
I think that covers it - any other questions?

There are a lot of things I do to occupy my time. I have two jobs and many hobbies. I am married, so I have someone to share things with and friends and family are always but a phone call away. However, I do have my own quiet moments and time to myself. My hubby works on the railroad and is gone four out of seven days a week. Lately, I 've been learning to act more on instinct. I want to have less regrets in life that start with the words " I wish I would have....". I am learning that sometimes there just aren't any do-overs, and you only get one shot. So, I try to give it my best and enjoy the one shot I get. By the way, happiness can be in a tub of ice cream and an old movie.

I'm stoppin' by to let you know I've found a hobby, no it's not pesterin' you. I'll be blogging about it, but be assured that I'm going to be poor from now on.... ;-)

Amy. Tell him what you do.