Time flies

For the Springsteen fans out there; Born in the USA was released in June 1984. That's 42 yeas ago. A little over 42 years before that Japan attacked Pearl Harbour and the USA entered the Second World War. Does that make you feel old?
 
Einstein is your only man when it comes to understanding time.

When I was growing up my father tried to instill in me a sense of purpose and meaning and understanding of history. It was all in vain, all I could see was the future and its limitless possibilities. History was black&white and anything before my birth year was a near irrelevance.

As I got older the limits of the future certainly began to arrive in full view on the horizon.

Now, for some reason I prefer to look back on history as it seems to be without limitations! :)
 
Purple said:
or the Springsteen fans out there; Born in the USA was released in June 1984. That's 42 yeas ago.
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I almost felt middle-aged at the time of Born In The USA!

I'd bought the Born to Run album in late '77 and I clearly remember buying Darkness on the Edge of Town in late '78.

Album purchases were a rare but precious treat back then: I bought The Eagles One of these Nights along with Rod Stewart's Atlantic Crossing in the summer of '75 and for Christmas '76 I treated myself to Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak, Neil Young's Zuma and Emmylou Harris' Elite Hotel.

A lot of Van Morrison albums followed fairly swiftly - and then I fell in love with Linda Ronstadt! (Who's birthday it is today!)
 
Went to the cinema recently to see "Disclosure Day", the new Stephen Spielberg film and was reminded that last year I went to see what is considered the first big block buster film "Jaws" for the 50th anniversary imax remastered showing and also remembered that next year we have two other great films to get their 50th anniversary badge "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and of course "Star Wars"
All three of which I saw the first time round which has me feeling not as young as I used to be

Music wise, the very first album I bought was "Dark Side of the Moon" and has remained in my top ten albums along with some other 70's mega selling albums like J C Superstar, Rumours, Tubular Bells and Equinox, yes Oxygene is probably the better album but I bought this one first so it has a special place in my heart
All of which were released when I was a young boy

Before Covid I never felt my age, I was doing things that any young to middle age person does like cycling up mountains that would bend your bones and descending them like a bat out of hell, got really fit during Covid where I was contesting some Strava KOM's with the whippersnappers of the day

Then one day in 2023 it all came to an end when I started to question my safety out there and why I was doing it and that was it, haven't cycled since and that's also when the ageing started

It wasn't the extra few pounds I put on or the fact I was now taking the medication that I observed my parents taking or the fact I've more body hair then on my head, it's something even worse and more soul destroying then all those together

Suddenly one day I made the observation as I'm approaching my 60th birthday that nearly anybody I deal with in my life like doctors, dentists, nurses, shop assistants, restaurant staff, car mechanics, tradesmen even my local parish priest is Younger then me!!!!

So your right @Purple time flies so make the most of it while you can!!
 
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Whenever I read a Money Makeover piece from somebody who is 40 asking if the €5M he has accumulated in cash reserves along with a Pension Fund with the possibility of adding another €2M later and that's before he informs us of his wife's accumulated millions and of course there is now no mortgage or car loan or any kind of loan outstanding. The usual question is "Have I enough to retire at 50?" The short answer is Yes, but we don't know if he'll walk under a bus next week or that his pension fund will collapse and the possibility also that he has a gambling problem. But, the guy is 40, healthy, happily married, has children, potentially good investments.

Even I cannot tell the future, but what if he incurs an incurable cancer within the next few weeks; what if his wife files for divorce next year? But, his worry is what'll he do aged 50?

I can answer that. Age 20 - 40 a health check every five years is probably required. Age 50- 65 a health check is required every year. 66 - 75 you're talking every six months. After that, you have a better chance at lotto than living for 20 more years. If the guy makes it to 75, then fair dues to him, I hope he lives to be a 100+ but that's not likely.

Enjoy yourself while you can.
 
Howth Head said:
A lot of Van Morrison albums followed fairly swiftly - and then I fell in love with Linda Ronstadt! (Who's birthday it is today!)
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My head's still full of that old bawler's lyrics. Into The Mystic came on the radio the other day. From the intro I could "sing" it all.

Linda was a bull of a country rocker in the 70s. Loved her headstrong antics - carry-on with Jerry Brown, prison concerts in minidress, etc.

It was sickening to see her in puffed shoulder outfits in the 80s.

Worse still to have her fall from Parkinson's.

But what a woman.
 
Leper said:
66 - 75 you're talking every six months. After that, you have a better chance at lotto than living for 20 more years.
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Your life expectancy at 75 is 12 more years. At 65 it's 18.3 more years. Source

Enjoy yourself, but it mightn't be as late as you think.
 
Cervelo said:
Then one day in 2023 it all came to an end when I started to question my safety out there and why I was doing it and that was it, haven't cycled since and that's also when the ageing started
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There's a famous quote from Jack Kirk I read in Born to Run some years back, "You don't stop running because you get old. You get old because you stop running."
 
Purple said:
Your life expectancy at 75 is 12 more years. At 65 it's 18.3 more years. Source

Enjoy yourself, but it mightn't be as late as you think.
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That gives me 22/23 years. Not as late as I think :eek:. I still see myself as infinite. At a certain level I simply do not believe that I have only 25 years left.
 
A 74 year old would shudder to reflect that they have seen the time (in this order) that they were older than a sitting British Prime Minister (Tony Blair), a US President (Barack Obama), an Irish Teashop (Leo Varadkar, no big challenge there) and, shock horror, a Pope of Rome in Leo. Though they have never been older than all four office holders at the same time.

They can rest assured though that they will never be as old as a Beatle.
 
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Leo said:
"You don't stop running because you get old. You get old because you stop running."
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Yes a very true statement but unfortunately you can't outrun the "inevitable" it will always catch up with you at some stage ;)
Though in Jacks case he was 101 before it happened to him
 
Cervelo said:
Yes a very true statement but unfortunately you can't outrun the "inevitable" it will always catch up with you at some stage
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Very true, I'm trying to work out how I time my slowing down with the projected health of my pension pot. Part of me worries that initiatives like the XPRIZE Healthspan challenge may be too successful :D
 
Duke of Marmalade said:
They can rest assured though that they will never be as old as a Beatle.
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When I get older, losing my hair
Many years from now
Will you still be sending me a Valentine
Birthday greetings, bottle of wine?
If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me
When I'm sixty-four.

Ooh, you'll be older too (Ah)
And if you say the word,
I could stay with you.

It seemed so far away then and it still does today, but in the opposite direction. :)
 
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