Mac: Hey folks, welcome back to the Mac and Mike show. I’m Mac and he’s Mike. We’re going to talk about something near and dear to our hearts today. Mike asked me what I wanted to talk about, and I said, “Let’s talk about getting old.” It’s something we both know a lot about; we experience it on a daily basis.
Years ago, my mother used to say, “Getting old ain’t for sissies.” There’s a classic line from a movie—I can’t quite remember the name, which is just another symptom of getting old! You know the name is in your memory bank, but you just can’t pull it out.
The “Little Things” About Aging
It’s those 101 little things you notice daily. For instance, I’ll pick something up, and it just slips out of my hand—that never happened when I was 40. Now that I’m 70, it’s a regular occurrence. Or the physical act of getting dressed: I used to spring out of bed and put my underwear on while standing on one leg. Now, I have to grab the chest of drawers for balance. Your world just changes.
Memory and the “Double-Edged Sword”
Mike: You’re right about the memory slips. But there’s also the intellectual side—it’s a double-edged sword. I looked into how much of what we learned in high school and college is still correct today. Biology is the worst; only about 40% of what we learned is still considered accurate. Mathematics is 95% the same, and history is about 60% the same, largely due to new archaeological discoveries.
It keeps you humble. At the same time, I realize that because I’m 68, I have so much more to offer in terms of experience. My son-in-law asked me what I could speak on for 30 minutes; I listed five subjects. A younger friend of his could only list one. I’ve had time to investigate things like quantum physics, combat search and rescue, and psychology. There’s a saying: “We grow old too soon and smart too late.”
Confidence vs. Reality
Mac: Even with experience, your brain often fools you. You look at a project and think, “I can do that, I’ve done it hundreds of times.” But now, it takes three times as long, and it leaves you physically wrecked.
I’ve had to make adjustments, like how I check for traffic. I can’t just whip my head around to look behind me anymore because it hurts. I have to shift my whole body. We’re constantly faced with limitations we didn’t expect.
Perspective on Life Expectancy
Mike: I was talking to my son, and I told him, “I only have seven years left,” based on the average life expectancy of a white male being 77. He told me, “Dad, you’re already 70—you’ve passed the hurdles that drag that average down. Look at the actuary tables; you’re more likely to make it to 82 or 85.”
Mac: That’s true. We did a lot of stupid stuff as kids—like riding mini-bikes on the road—that should have killed us, but we survived.
The “Old Codger” Reality
Mike: It’s funny, you don’t really realize how much you’ve aged until you’re around other people your age. I took Mac to the Outer Banks to meet some friends. We all walked into the restaurant like young men, but when we got up to leave, I watched all ten of us limping. Sitting for an hour had stiffened us all up.
Mac: I have breakfast with a group where I’m the youngest at 70. The conversation is entirely about knee replacements, hip surgeries, and colonoscopies. I told them, “I’m too young for this conversation!” But that’s the reality of it. You end up trading medical stories, like Mike’s macular degeneration treatments.
Mike: Right. I go to the doctor every four to six weeks to get a needle in my eye. It helps prevent blindness, but it’s certainly not a “fun” part of aging. We’re at an age where we’re constantly managing these “creeping maladies.”
Mac: People often don’t guess my age; they think I’m in my 50s. I think it’s just genetics. But regardless of how you look on the outside, the daily maintenance required to keep the “airframe” running is a full-time job.
Mike: Whether it’s the colonoscopy prep or the aches and pains, it’s all part of the journey. We may not feel “old” in our minds, but the body certainly reminds us from time to time!
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