We asked women over 65 what myths about aging they think we don’t need to believe.
Denial
I’ve always been a bit quirky, but I thought I’d grow out of it with time. Then I turned 40, 50, 60—and my mind stayed just as playful. Yesterday, I had to remind myself I’m 67 and not to do cartwheels in the stairwell. I’ll never really grow up.
Sex
The biggest myth is that older people don’t have sex. I’m 64, my husband is over 70, and our sex life is better than ever—we’re intimate twice a week, sometimes more. Maybe those who grew up together and aged side by side don’t, but we met after 50 and still can’t get enough of each other.
Grumbling
I’m 76, and in my experience, if someone is a "grumpy old man," they were probably complaining even in their twenties. Those with a cheerful spirit stay that way, no matter their age.
Age Is Just a Number
There were times I expected a grown-up to guide me, even at 50. (For example, I welcomed my 72-year-old father-in-law’s investment advice back then.) Even past 60, I felt "young," despite my friends teasing me about being an old maid. I kept living life on my terms—hiking, traveling, dating—and didn’t accept being old until I turned 68. Now at 73, I’m finally settling into a calm, and looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. Don’t let society tell you how old you should feel.
Respect
I thought getting older would earn me respect from younger people, but I was wrong.
Boredom? No Way!
People say older folks are boring, but nothing could be further from the truth. How could anyone who’s lived so many years be dull? They’ve seen so much, from times few remember—that’s fascinating. Older people aren’t boring; they’re content. They don’t sweat the small stuff and live in their own peaceful world, and that calm shines through.
Wisdom
I thought wisdom came with age, but it really comes with experience.
It’s All About Perspective
When I was a teen, even someone in their twenties seemed "old." In my twenties, my friends and I looked down on those over 30 at the club, calling them old maids. In my thirties, I pitied women in their forties going through menopause. At 50, I was touched when a woman in her seventies called me "young lady" at the market. Now at 80, I smile at the "youngsters" in their sixties at the retirement home—and my 99-year-old roommate sees me the same way. Age is always relative; no matter how old you are, someone will see you as young or old.
Focus
Since older people tend to be farsighted and I’ve always been nearsighted, I thought my vision might correct itself over time—but no luck. Turns out, you can be both nearsighted and farsighted at once.
Blooming
I thought I’d retire and move into a care home a few years later, but thankfully, that’s not how it went. I’m still fresh and mostly healthy, my weeks are packed with activities, and I have a vibrant social life. I go out more now and have more friends than I did in my twenties!
