Being Old

It used to be three score and ten,

But now we live much more.

This means we have more oldies,

Than we ever had before.

We live in houses far to big

Some younger people say.

And that our pensions are too big

Which they will have to pay.

But pay we did for many years,

And struggled too as well,

To make them what they are today,

When often they'd rebel.

If young ones think that old it great,

They'll soon have time to appreciate.

But for them it will be far too late,

Seeing being old isn't all that great.

[PMRPete]

I never realised it was going to be so b****y painful!! Just 85 now.

[Hidden in reply to PMRPete]

Look at it this way, Pete, it does wonders for your pain threshold.

[PMRPete in reply to Hidden]

In 2013 I asked a male GP about my hip; he said, "You have a high pain threshold, just carry on taking the pain killers"!!

[sassy59]

Well said Don. Xxxx

[skischool]

Us 'baby boomers' get an unfair battering from society but we earned our wealth and sadly possibly out health by being frugal and hard working.Well said Master Po..................grasshopper skis and infant scruffy x

[Carnival567]

Most older people were and are much more frugal and self sacrificing. My son, who is a reasonable chap on the whole, thinks that because people have holidays abroad they have a 'right' to expect them. This is despite the fact was that every holiday he had as a child was in an elderly caravan in West Wales, and which he absolutely loved. When he was a baby we moved house and mortgage interest rates were 15%, if a friend hadn't lent me baby clothes it would have been almost beyond us. Jumble sales were a good source of clothes. We were not in debt! We are enjoying retirement and for the first time in our lives are able to be frivolous! Fed up with being told by the press that the over seventies are a problem! Good news though, Gloucestershire have approved my Blue Badge!

[skischool in reply to Carnival567]

Welcome to the club carnival and spend,spend,spend as they say,my legacy to the world will be property and savings and no debt,(before social services grab the lot)some will say i am fortunate but having lost my soul mate maybe we should have been more frivolous and selfish but that was not the way of our world and i like to think it was a better world with all of it's hardships and no instant gratification ..off me soap box now...........skis and well fed cat boom boom

[knitter in reply to Carnival567]

I agree carnival, most of my children's clothes came from jumble sales or I made them myself.

[knitter]

Just watched the news about predicted population growth.........guess who partly got the blame again. Seems we are living too long, no mention of the voluntary work that older people do......my 84 year old friend who sells poppies, the ones who volunteer in the hospital shop and cafe, the volunteer drivers, the unpaid child carers. Our wealth of experience too.

Many older people still pay income tax, and we all pay VAT .

Makes me fume.

[Inamoment]

Oh dear. Longer life expectancy is just one of the reasons for growth, don't cherry pick. Secondly just because some people over spend, that's people of all ages does not mean that all young people spend more than they should.

[knitter in reply to Inamoment]

Hi inamoment.....This was a topic about older people , so that's why I mentioned that predicted population growth was partly blamed on people living longer.

[skischool in reply to knitter]

i like knitter are not blaming younger people for their spending habits,merely stating we have made our contribution to society and do not feel we should be portrayed as the great beneficiary's of the welfare state at the expense of our young people.also longer life expectancy is going to create enormous challenges to our modern societys..................skis and middle aged cat x

[MoyB]

My son and daughter spend more on their kids than I was ever able to do. You should see the number of pairs of shoes they have! And umpteen coats! We had to make do with one pair of shoes, a pair of plimsolls, a pair of wellies and a pair of slippers and a coat that did for all occasions. I don't think we are living the life of Riley these days as have to save up for things. Yes, we have a nice home and some capital, but it won't go far if care needs have to come into the equation, or if we have any major home expenses. Luckily we both have pensions from our jobs, but without that we would have little to spend on luxuries. xx Moy

[Phil61]

3 score years and 10, I should be so lucky!!!!!!!

[Ergendl]

I've been reading an economics book published in the 1960s, when the experts predicted that the population now would be 74 million, not 67 million or whatever it is at the moment. What were the politicians doing in the 80s when house building plummeted? Could it be that they saw a financial advantage?

[Hidden in reply to Ergendl]

I don’t think politicians have ever been that clever. They can never see further than the next election.