Aging

[Blissboat]

I see some suggesting downsize. I don't see how that can help. The spaces that I'd need to work in would be even smaller. Components would be packed tighter. Living area would be less comfortably usable.

Agree. Room to work means your boat receives more quality attention. In addition, smaller boats lack the side decks and rails that make it safe to walk-around, get to the foredeck and anchor, and generally have safe access to cleats, docks, etc.

Another consideration: sometimes the boat that is the safest and easiest for us to handle is the one we already have, because of muscle memory. E.g., even in the pitch dark, you don't have to look for that cleat or hawsehole opening, because your hands already know where it is. You don't have to kneel with a flashlight in front of that breaker panel, looking for the switch to turn on the spotlight, because your fingertips already know it's the fourth from the top on the left.

 

[FoxtrotCharlie]

I keep my 'new to me' 1968 CC Commander at a Marina on the Tenn-Tom in MS. A very nice older gentleman and his dog live on a nice houseboat across from me (covered slips). He loves to joke that we are twins - he's 86 and I'm 68!! He sets a great example for the rest of us. My wife's grandfather took his last fishing trip to Great Bear Lake in NW Territories, CN when he was 93 - had to quit because the native guide he had used for 40 years had turned 95 and retired!! Oh to be so lucky.

edit - need to change the photo of my boat - sold the one pictured here

 

[SteveK]

I also cannot see a smaller boat solving any problem, been there done that. I am DIY guy, so when I find it too much trouble or difficult to get done, that will be the end of boating.
Well maybe a charter?
Sold the Harley last year and I loved the ride, but the ride was not fluent as before, did not want to become a statistic.

 

[dannc]

....
My oldest son is 15 now. He's been in the current house for six years, and yesterday he walked ahead of me when we got home and blanked out on the code numbers to the front door's keypad. I think a lot of us are still okay, it's just massive, overwhelming amounts of mental noise and clutter in modern life that make us feel otherwise.

You are spot on about what we have to remember today. It is not just passwords, but how to operate a vehicle, heck, how to watch something on TV, is so much more complicated than it used to be. Making a phone call is not as simple as it used to be either.

There is soooo much more we know today, and have to know, to just function in today's modern world.

What my grandparents had to know, and knew, is so much less than what one needs to know today. My grandparents were amazed by the technology in use decades ago. Technology that they could not, or would not, use. They would be amazed at what we use today. It really is magic compared to what existed when they were adults, much less born.

 

[RCook]

After yesterday I am now certain that my reason for aging out of recreational boating is going to be arthritis.........

I see some suggesting downsize. I don't see how that can help. The spaces that I'd need to work in would be even smaller. Components would be packed tighter. Living area would be less comfortably usable.

I would probably downsize to an outboard powered cruiser like a C-Dory. We cruised BC and SE Alaska in our CD22. It's a far simpler boat, requiring far less maintenance, and yet very capable. Smaller, yes. Trailerable, so I could keep it at home, and could visit the east coast, big lakes etc.

 

[High Wire]

I'm encouraged by the posts above. I'll be 66 in 2 months and have been feeling the memory strain. The oldest male on my side of the family made it to 70. My answer has been checklists and allowing more time to get things done which also allows me to remember the odd things that didn't make it to the checklists. My wife, however, may force a sale in the near future due to constant visits to doctor for skin cancer cell removals. Shes a trooper but how long can we keep this up?

 

[BruceK]

I am 38 years old and I really wish I had not read all off this

And probably without the aid of specs or cataract surgery! Remember, aging is usually better than the alternative.

 

[Lepke]

Late 70s. Lived on the water much of my life.
What are the options? A house is like a prison sentence. There's always a chore that keeps you from going somewhere or doing something fun. An apartment would mean living in a small town at least. And then you have screaming kids and the battling Bickersons. Not for me.
I'll stay on the boat and keep plugging away.
If someone tells me I have to go in a rest home, I'll probably go out to sea and look for a quiet place.

 

[Bacchus]

Now 75 and have our Bacchus (MS 34HT) and a 34 ft motorhome for snowbirding.
Boating is our #1 passion and MH is our winter get away for 3 mos.

Now in the process of buying a property in FL to make snowbirding easier and plan to sell MH which will simplify our lives & maint to some extent.

We thought about aging when we bought the MS and felt the lack of a flybridge would likely add 10 yrs to our ability to continue boating. Handling our MS w a single plus B&S thrusters is a piece of cake. The wireless remote I added helps in a few situations and glad I added it. Everything on the boat basically one level (w/in a couple steps) makes it easier as does wide decks, helm door, no canvas, etc.

Now for the negatives... already have a hip replacement but that is better than new - just had to give up running but still can play racquetball & pickleball 3 days a week but do use 2 knee braces. Any time in the spacious ER requires knee pads and shorter duration. Kneeling & getting up is a comedy to watch.

Happy to pay others to take on maint chores but finding good help seems difficult.

When working my motto was... work hard.... play hard!
It has evolved to.... work hard.... play hard.... and NAP OFTEN!

No firm end date for boating but we discuss & reassess periodically as a reality check.
Of course none of us know our expiration date which can happen at any time.

 

[Portage_Bay]

We tried the small boat thing last summer. Still had to bend like a pretzel to work on things. Hands still complained. I find outboards a b!tch to work on. At least I can do it standing behind the boat. Plus we want comfortable living quarters, no such thing on a trailer boat.

I would probably downsize to an outboard powered cruiser like a C-Dory. We cruised BC and SE Alaska in our CD22. It's a far simpler boat, requiring far less maintenance, and yet very capable. Smaller, yes. Trailerable, so I could keep it at home, and could visit the east coast, big lakes etc.

 

[rslifkin]

Smaller boats aren't necessarily any easier to work on, but they're often easier and cheaper to get someone else to work on them. That can be a factor for some.

 

[FWT]

The thing is, its all just a theory. An educated guess based on what you think you know, but can't be sure of.

Pretty much like the rest of life's decisions.

The other thing is the interesting interaction or counter-play at work. Having an activity that gets you up and keeps you going will keep body and mind active and healthy longer. Pulling the trigger to exit it might well hasten an ending. How soon is too soon or too late is unanswerable.

Pulling the trigger on an exit may become the safe play but unsafe play.

I guess part of that answer is in the question, what's next?

I got a taste of it when I tried early retirement at about 62, but didn't like it because I wasn't really prepared. I didn't really think through in advance what life would be like. Friends still worked, wife still worked, and once you have finally gotten around to those home projects that were put off for years, there wasn't enough to get mentally and physically active. I quickly hated it and went back to work, because I wanted to.

So I am now about to retire at 70, better prepared, and truly ready.

In very rounded numbers I spent the first 30 years of life really addicted to boating, mostly sailing. Then went cold turkey on the addiction for 40 years and didn't boat when life made that impractical. About 4 years ago the idea of returning to boating struck me hard, and the moment that idea struck me I was sure about it. It took time to develop the plan, time to figure out exactly what I wanted, and time to have the boat built and delivered. But now I have it, and I resent the time the residual job requires for a smooth exit. That just says its really time, this time.

I can say that just 4 years after the decision to go boating was made, my physical condition was different at 66 than 70. I picked a boat I thought best for a retiree's condition, and am glad I did.

One thing I notice as age begins to take its toll. I am not as agile as I once was, neither mentally nor physically. But judgement and wisdom improve. One stupidly simple example is, I get better at thinking through a project, being sure to bring the needed tools into the engine room, because climbing in and out to retrieve something gets harder. The net result is an improvement in efficiency.

Don't Let The Old Man In.

I am no particular fan of country music, but some of it does have a way of making a point. "I am not as good as I once was, but I am as good as I ever was, once." LOL.

Toby Keith wrote "Don't Let The Old Man In", inspired by watching his friend Clint Eastwood continue to be active in his life's work and play well past the age when most give it up and slow down. There is an interesting back story to the song, in this link.

Don't Let the Old Man In - Wikipedia

The thing is, Toby Keith passed away a month ago from cancer at 62. You can't know what it will be that gets you despite all resolutions on age and fitness.

Here are the lyrics:

Don't let the old man in
I want to live me some more
Can't leave it up to him
He's knocking on my door

And I knew all of my life
That someday it would end
Get up and go outside
Don't let the old man in

Many moons I have lived
My body's weathered and worn
Ask yourself how old you would be
If you didn't know the day you were born

Try to love on your wife
And stay close to your friends
Toast each sundown with wine
Don't let the old man in

Many moons I have lived
My body's weathered and worn
Ask yourself how old you would be
If you didn't know the day you were born

When he rides up on his horse
And you feel that cold bitter wind
Look out your window and smile
Don't let the old man in
Look out your window and smile
Don't let the old man in

And here is the song. Take it to heart.

 

[Pascall]

When we chose the design of our boat 30 years ago, bought the drawings and then built them ourselves, one of the starting points was, a boat that you can grow old on.
Cockpit, aft storage, wheelhouse, kitchen and saloon is on the ground floor, toilet sleeping areas and shower are two steps down.
The engine room is under the cockpit floor, when the 3 hatches are open you have infinite headroom next to the engine, the heavy engine hatches open hydraulically.
Steps and handles have been placed everywhere, in short, I think we have had foresight.

Greeting

Pascal.

 

[ksanders]

I just turned 60 and have been retired for two years not, living the cruiser life, and have a house in Mexico.

When I bought my boat at 48 years old I thought a lot about access and chose a boat with dock level access to the salon and galley, and no more than 4 stairs up or down in the entire boat.

That idea of access will in all probabability allow me to comfortable continue to make my boat a part time home well into our older years.

For example, if I do not need a walker to go to the market, I can use my boat, evern if it's a floating condo someday.

 

[Caballero II]

My philosophy is go balls to the wall until I cant. I still snowboard, adventure tour motorcycles, ride dirt bikes, scuba dive, run the course waterskiing. My body at times complains from all the old trauma, so far all I have given up is running as I am trying to get a few more years out of a knee that's toast. The Admiral has taken it upon herself to pull the throttle back to keep me from adding to the trauma list when I'm having a exceptionally good day water skiing and pushing myself too far while trying to show the kids that dad still has it. I sometimes cringe when I see people younger than I stop doing something they love (or did at some point) because " I'm getting too old". I watched my grandad go like crazy into his early 90's, and my dad do it into his mid 80's until a couple bouts of cancer took the wind out of his sails a bit. He is still fine with the exception of a wife that constantly wants him to "sit down and relax ", she has serious health issues and sits all day and thinks he should too.

My take on life is listen to your own body to limit what you do. If you sit on the couch too long you will die there!

I'm getting really close to 63 and hope to carry on at this pace as long as possible.



Hollywood

Hollywood, be kind. You'll be along soon enough. Get back to me when you cross the 70's threshold. It's frightening and appalling how fast the deterioration accelerates with age, even to us champions of physical abilities and talents in our youth. We're just bugs, with a finite shelf life. No choice, we just go as well as we can, enjoy our memories, and try not to dwell on what we've lost along the way

 

[Caballero II]

When we chose the design of our boat 30 years ago, bought the drawings and then built them ourselves, one of the starting points was, a boat that you can grow old on.
Cockpit, aft storage, wheelhouse, kitchen and saloon is on the ground floor, toilet sleeping areas and shower are two steps down.
The engine room is under the cockpit floor, when the 3 hatches are open you have infinite headroom next to the engine, the heavy engine hatches open hydraulically.
Steps and handles have been placed everywhere, in short, I think we have had foresight.

Greeting

Pascal.

That's a beauty. I think that would be good for us. Can you share it? 73, and can't do stairs well anymore. Be nice to live on one level, but could probably live with a couple of steps down.

 

[Caballero II]

After reading Teds thread about the end of the line with slow hand, it prompted me to start a new thread about how to handle aging, and what limits and changes we make with boating.


I made it to 78 last year and am still alive. The biggest toll on my body has been the lack of strength and energy. It became significant in my early 70s.


My mind is also slowing down. I go the garage to get a screwdriver to fix something. On the way I divert over to the laundry room to close the door. While there, I put the washer load into the drier and forget to turn it on. So, I head to the garage and when I get there... what was I here for? On the way back, I see the laundry door open and the light on, but just walk past to get back to my coffee.


I love the boat and really feel that it's an "old man's boat". Is super easy to handle and I've got a great place to keep it and easy to launch. So, I make a regular solo run a few times a week over to the American Legion to see friend, grab a bite and perhaps a beer. On the way back, I'll often get it up to speed to dust the cobwebs off for a few minutes.



So far, so good, so what are the options as age continues?


Keep the boat until I croak? (Probably not the best idea)



Sell the boat and retire to the land, permanently? (don't think that's for me)


Get a motor home? (No frickin way!)


Get a smaller boat? (good idea)


Do one more Loop trip? (would love to)


Keep my mind active? (great idea, I don't read books, so I'm a forum junkie to keep my mind going)


Other thoughts?

Thanks a lot. This is a great thread. I am right with you. Within the past year I told my young good friend and talented boat guy that as of now, my engine room was his to take care of on my dime. I just can't do it anymore, and I trust him. And I'm a single engine GB 36, but cannot swim around in the ER to look at all the machinery critically. He discovered a head gasket leak (weep) that I wouldn't have found by myself. It's small, and we can probably live with it for a year or two, but it would have gone unnoticed by me because I just cannot get to that spot, and so did not. I know he's not trying to make work, but doing his new job getting around the er checking things. That's the cost of "aging out". Somebody to help me. I'll have to pay him and I'm happy to do that if he's honest to do that and keep me on the water. I definitely miss that I didn't find it, but there it is. So, I guess I'll go as long as I can afford it. So far, I'm OK with this arrangement.

 

[SteveK]

I was wondering if the stairlift can be modified for the ER around the engines. Maybe a monorail.

 

[hollywood8118]

Hollywood, be kind. You'll be along soon enough. Get back to me when you cross the 70's threshold. It's frightening and appalling how fast the deterioration accelerates with age, even to us champions of physical abilities and talents in our youth. We're just bugs, with a finite shelf life. No choice, we just go as well as we can, enjoy our memories, and try not to dwell on what we've lost along the way

One of my closest friends celebrated his 70th Birthday 150 miles North of the Aleutians while double handing his sailboat non stop From Tokyo to Dutch Harbor. They had finished a Circumnavigation in their early 60's. He was planning to do another big Pacific voyage, when at 79 he died of an aortic aneurysm drinking his morning coffee. My point is that people live the boating dream at many ages, some keep pushing the envelope because they can and have the will to do so. That's not saying most of us in our 60/70/80's don't have aches and pains ( I'm writing this with a full knee ice wrap ) to quiet down an angry knee. There are a lot of workarounds that can allow us to keep doing what we love ( even at a lesser pace) and not just give up.
Do what you can do, don't listen to anyone tell you your too old to do something you love.
Hollywood

 

[Pascall]

That's a beauty. I think that would be good for us. Can you share it? 73, and can't do stairs well anymore. Be nice to live on one level, but could probably live with a couple of steps down.

Thank you for the compliment.
To complete the picture, here are a few pictures of the original blueprint.
What spoils the layout in the front of the ship, we have deviated from the drawing, the rest is almost the same as the construction drawing.
In the front of the ship there are two double beds, toilet and shower, one bed is partly under the saloon floor.
As you can see, the engine is under the cockpit floor, the big advantage is unlimited headroom next to the engine and the engine noise in the wheelhouse is nil.
The space underneath the saloon is the technical room where all tanks (5 pieces) are located.
The drawings are yellowed but are from 1991.:lol:

Greeting

Pascal.

 

[Caballero II]

72, for three more months. Woo hoo!

 

[Caballero II]

After yesterday I am now certain that my reason for aging out of recreational boating is going to be arthritis.

Yesterday getting the boat ready to go back in the water my hands refused to work anymore after about 4 hrs of effort. Nothing unusually hard, just boat work. Changed 6 zincs, hooked up a new bilge pump hose, finished the install of a replaced trim tab cylinder. At the end just putting the tools away was painful. You may be thinking "That took you 4 hours!?" Yes, it did. Arthritis slows me down a lot. Have I mentioned back, hip and knee? They still hurt today.

I will be selling when I can't do the work anymore. I won't cruise on a poorly maintained boat for safety reasons. If I could hire more work done, and I already hire the tougher work out, I could keep boating longer. But the end is in sight. We had been thinking 2025 or 26 would be our last year. Hope to make that far.

I see some suggesting downsize. I don't see how that can help. The spaces that I'd need to work in would be even smaller. Components would be packed tighter. Living area would be less comfortably usable.

Yeah, I'm with you. What fun is it when you cannot take care of the boat, and your accomplices? As Capt. Hollywood said, I will goes as long as I can, but I did turn over the engine room to my buddy, 30+ years younger. I take him and family out on day cruises. Pretty soon it'll be overnights with his family, the he'll be taking me. I'm just enjoying this thread, even if it is a bit painfull. Let's just keep going and share how we're doing.

 

[Davil1]

View Poll Results: What is your age?
Are younger than 60? 21 18.26%
Are you 60 to 70? 45 39.13%
Are you 70 to 80? 41 35.65%
Are you 80 to 90? 8 6.96%
Are you over 90? 0 0%

I am one of the "8"!!!!

few days ago turned 83, preparing the boat for the season, last year sailed mostly solo to the Cape Cod area and decided to stop in New Bedford, fires raging in Canada prevented me to continue, frustrating, really wanted to continue.

But learned to take it as it comes, having breakfast in the cockpit in a mooring watching the old farts rowing their whaling boats every morning was amazing.

From the marina 1 and 1/2 miles walking to town, astounding Portuguese food, museums and just watching life going by, since I am now on “overtime”, what the hell, who complains?

Being diagnosed with a deadly disease, LIFE, have the choice to wait my end with dread or make it pleasant

cheers

 

[Hippocampus]

Fart dust and wake up with something aching but I’m vertical. Spent much of my professional life dealing with folks with cognitive deficits or progressive dementia being a neurologist. Several forms include denial of illness. Particularly frontal temporal dementia. They are the most problematic to deal with. Hence independent observation of cognition is wise. Same for some victims of AD, diffuse Lewy body and vascular dementias.

However, some trees bend in the wind and some don’t. Be the bending type. We moved from blue water voyaging on sail to coastal power. Yes I dearly miss the sailboat full time cruising lifestyle. But it is what it is. So take pleasure with the trawler. I’ll transfer to a center console when the time comes. Have several stories of how one can persevere gracefully or not.

Became friendly with a couple on a sister ship Outbound. They were in their 80s and still actively cruising the eastern Caribbean. They took on a gentleman in his late 40s to sail the boat. They took on additional crew for passage for several years. Then transferred to using delivery crew with them flying.

Another couple also in their 80s were in denial. The man had evident untreated PD with superimposed lewy body dementia. They shared a finger with us while we were refitting in Rodney Bay. Their boat never left the dock.With sensitivity gradually engaged the lady explaining my concerns and observations. One evening she came by our boat alone just before we were going to leave. After a long conversation she accepted my opinion of what was likely going on. Some months later got an email from a daughter thanking me for my intervention. Apparently he was in denial. There was much difficulties in getting him off the boat and much emotional trauma to family members. Ultimately he did get appropriate care but at the cost of much pain to others.

I had the pleasure of spending time with Webb Chile while in Hilton Head. Again I would estimate he is in he’s 80s. This is a gentleman who sailed across the Pacific in a 19’ open boat. He has sailed RTW multiple times alone in a ultralight 24’ sloop. When I met him he still had that little boat and was still taking her out for short over night sails. But he was realistic. No more blue water. Pick his spots for benign weather windows for his little sails. Still would only singlehand but only realistically to be safe. Had all his marbles.

Was invited to do a one/two. Went for a day sail with the owner. Was in his late fifties or early 60s. Florid nose and spiders on his face. Pleasant day so all rags up but it was apparent he had a wet brain from excessive alcohol intake for years. Declined the invite. Told by mutual acquaintance he didn’t do the race but needed assistance during a different voyage.

Was in the southern bays (upper Woburn) of Grenada. Was there to put the boat on the hard for hurricane season so we could spend time at home. In the harbor there was a a home brew ~36’ steel sloop in poor condition with a 70-80y.o. on it. Got friendly with other cruisers in the harbor as you do. Story was he had nobody. Sailed over from Europe decades ago. Had a large meningioma. Only current Rx oral steroids. People taking turns buying and dropping off food, flats of water and his decadron to him. Tragic avoidable death to come shortly. Tragic degree of suffering. Back story was initially he had the resources to return home have his benign tumor removed and live his natural life span deficient free. But he refused to give up “the dream”. Refused to face the inevitable reality of his diagnosis so was going down slow.

Have more stories but there’s a general lesson. Do what you can while you can. Figure out ways to continue to enjoy life. But be realistic and face your limitations honestly and with optimism that you will continue to find some form of joy as long as you can remain vertical.

 

[Ken E.]

Do what you can while you can. Figure out ways to continue to enjoy life. But be realistic and face your limitations honestly and with optimism that you will continue to find some form of joy as long as you can remain vertical.

Well said.

 

[Moonfish]

I'm on the younger side of this subject and poll (turning 63 soon), but have been thinking about all this recently. My wife started working as the Activities Director at the Life Care Center in Port Townsend almost one year ago. Visiting her at work was eye opening. They have 35-50 "residents", some are there for the rest of their lives, some are short term for rehab from surgery, etc. Average age is probably 80, with so many in wheel chairs.

Over the last couple of years I find myself suffering from "the dropsies" (things just fall out of my hands) and ever so slightly miscalculating mundane spatial tasks. Doesn't happen all the time, but when it does I try to take note and be more deliberate next time. Note I didn't say I'll be more careful next time. For me that seems to be key: being deliberate. Not going on autopilot or relying on muscle memory, but being aware of my surroundings and what I'm doing. Especially on the boat.

Another key thing is just being thankful for every day, and trying to always enjoy that delicious strawberry. Life willing I'll be able to keep going for decades.

Thank you for starting this thought provoking thread, Seevee. Best of luck to you and everyone else dealing with the beautifully inexorable state of aging and boating.

 

[Larmex99]

This is a very important topic for all of us. Keeping perspective is really the most important aspect of aging while boating. Self analysis and constantly gauging the diminishment of my skills is key for me. Because I am a lifelong boater and have a lot of miles of experience doesn’t mean much anymore. I boat in Prince William Sound and fish in the Gulf of Alaska so there is little margin for error. When I no longer feel confident in handling every aspect of boating here I am done.

Thank you to the posters here for letting me know that I am not the only one who is facing the not-too-distant end of my life’s greatest adventure. Wishing you all the best. FYI I am turning 73.

 

[kthoennes]

Since this thread started, it's got me thinking more and more if I'm losing anything yet. My post above about an avalanche of mental clutter in modern life made me wonder if I'm just rationalizing my own deterioration. I don't think so (thank you Lord), at least not yet. I may have mentioned my wife and I adopted young kids later in life, so now I'm living with teenagers -- out of sync with most parents. When they were little kids to now, they're shockingly absent-minded. They lose track of what day it is. They lose clothing, jackets, gloves, sports equipment, phones, fishing poles. They forget class assignments and activities. Mom, I was supposed to bring a pie to class for "pi day" (3.141...), can you please run a pie to school? Their socks don't match. They wear clothes backwards or inside out. I've explained AC/DC to them a dozen times, 12v is car and boat, 110v is household, etc. They seem to retain nothing. So far I'm still running mental circles around a 15 and 13 year old. When we go to school functions, the schools have big giant lost and found tables, heaped with all the things that kids have absent-mindedly forgotten. I can do long division. They have no idea what that is. I just had to buy them new cell phones, because both boys dropped them and broke the screens. I had to walk them through the data transfers. (Cheap models, and they'll have to do a ton of chores to pay for the replacements because nothing is free in life.) Speaking of phones though, the school sends them and the parents "missing score alerts" whenever they miss an assignment. If they get a missing score alert, they lose their phone until it's cleared. One son hasn't seen his phone for a week. I might be getting more prone to getting pretzel-stuck in the boat's engine bay, but mentally I'm still leaving those teenagers in the dust. For now.

 

[Crux]

Since this thread started, it's got me thinking more and more if I'm losing anything yet. My post above about an avalanche of mental clutter in modern life made me wonder if I'm just rationalizing my own deterioration. I don't think so (thank you Lord), at least not yet. I may have mentioned my wife and I adopted young kids later in life, so now I'm living with teenagers -- out of sync with most parents. When they were little kids to now, they're shockingly absent-minded. They lose track of what day it is. They lose clothing, jackets, gloves, sports equipment, phones, fishing poles. They forget class assignments and activities. Mom, I was supposed to bring a pie to class for "pi day" (3.141...), can you please run a pie to school? Their socks don't match. They wear clothes backwards or inside out. I've explained AC/DC to them a dozen times, 12v is car and boat, 110v is household, etc. They seem to retain nothing. So far I'm still running mental circles around a 15 and 13 year old. When we go to school functions, the schools have big giant lost and found tables, heaped with all the things that kids have absent-mindedly forgotten. I can do long division. They have no idea what that is. I just had to buy them new cell phones, because both boys dropped them and broke the screens. I had to walk them through the data transfers. (Cheap models, and they'll have to do a ton of chores to pay for the replacements because nothing is free in life.) Speaking of phones though, the school sends them and the parents "missing score alerts" whenever they miss an assignment. If they get a missing score alert, they lose their phone until it's cleared. One son hasn't seen his phone for a week. I might be getting more prone to getting pretzel-stuck in the boat's engine bay, but mentally I'm still leaving those teenagers in the dust. For now.

Great post! You should be a writer....in your old age..
Have heard that life is reversed, kids should have their career first, when they know everything....then, education later.

And, as kids age, they often say their parents mysteriously become smarter and smarter...

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. k. Your post (#58) brought to mind a book I was introduced to somewhere around the mid 60's (must have been shortly after it was published). It deals with what I and I suspect more than a few "older" folks am/are going through.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Shock I can recognize it happening to me on several levels...

MY way of dealing with the situation is accepting what it is and trying to ignore the rest while still understanding that it is happening while attempting to maintain my grasp of reality.