# How old are you?



## alloy

I have a 70 nova I'm working on and the nova site the topic came up about how old you are relating to knowledge about the older cars.  One person mention he was old, and I told him I am too.  So we created a poll to see how old everyone is just for sh*ts and grins.

I'll admit it, I'm old.  Wouldn't change it for anything.  Had a few hard knocks and not much hair left, and most if it is gray and I earned every gray hair I have.  I won't mention my waist line.

So thought it would be interesting to see how old everyone is here.  Post on the thread, or vote on the poll anonymously, or just ignore it.  Your choice.

I'll start it off.  I'm 64, be 65 on October.

Admin:  If this offends anyone please delete, I'll understand.


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## RJSakowski

What about those of us 70+?  What are we, chopped liver?  77 here.

edit:  And we also have several teen aged members.


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## woodchucker

RJSakowski said:


> What about those of us 70+?  What are we, chopped liver?  77 here.
> 
> edit:  And we also have several teen aged members.


no not yet, we all will be soon enough.


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## alloy

RJSakowski said:


> What about those of us 70+?  What are we, chopped liver?  77 here.
> 
> edit:  And we also have several teen aged members.


I'm not sure if you are chopped or not  

There is a 70 to 80 option, and I just added a under 20 just for you


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## jbobb1

alloy said:


> I'll start it off.  I'm 64, be 65 on October.


I'll be 65 in November, old guy.


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## Just for fun

I'll be 63 in May.


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## mmcmdl

Just for fun said:


> I'll be 63 in May.


April for me !


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## Steve-F

67 in October


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## T Bredehoft

Jeez, I'm in a bunch of kids. Just turned 83.


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## mmcmdl

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..................................maybe a new graph is needed  . 


Under 20 


Old .


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## FOMOGO

Turning 71 in a month, and just thrilled to still be here. Mike


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## JimDawson

73 and still kicking.


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## Z2V

61 two days ago


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## DAM 79

Man I have a long way to go I’m only 42 will be 43 in April and only started down this road 3 years ago and will never know as much as you guys


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## woodchucker

DAM 79 said:


> Man I have a long way to go I’m only 42 will be 43 in April and only started down this road 3 years ago and will never know as much as you guys


well maybe not as much as the pros that are here, but you will learn.. you'll be surprised what you learn.  the more you do, the more you learn, and learn what not to do


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## rabler

alloy said:


> I'll start it off. I'm 64, be 65 on October.


Your tag line is "Retired Old Fart".  At 58, but retired, I guess I'm the "Retired Young Fart".


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## bfk

Good thing you did this now,  I’l be 70 next month. That’s a whole new demographic.
Still a privilege that a lot good people never have.


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## francist

Quietly sneaking up on 60….


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## f350ca

66 in a couple of months. Glad to be getting old, a lot don't get the chance. I'll have been out of work for 21 years in a month. Where did the time go.

Greg


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## AGCB97

70 in April
Aaron


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## MrWhoopee

I have no idea how it happened, but I turned 70 last September.


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## eugene13

75 last October.


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## westerner

62 in March. Retired 16 months ago. I have most of my body, and select slices of my mind still useful. 
I just can't see how it could be any better.


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## Bi11Hudson

alloy said:


> I won't mention my waist line.


Just to brag a little, in 1973 I had a set of dress blues made up of "melton", a common at the time replacement for the wool of an issue uniform. The trousers size was 34-34, I don't remember the jumper size. Last year, almost 50 years later, I bought several pairs of jeans, mostly for work clothes. Size 34-34. No further comment. . .


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## silence dogood

A few years ago, a questionnaire was sent from our local community college to my instructor on a course that I was taking.  The teacher did not teach at this school nor got paid by them.  They wanted the ages, sex, race, nationality, etc. Nothing to do with the course. My answers were age; old enough to vote. Sex; since this has nothing to do with locker rooms, it's irreverent for this course.  Race and nationality; American. Well, you guys get the idea. Must admit it was fun to fill out. Especially after the instructor read my answers bent over laughing.


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## mickri

Maybe the better question would be is your lathe older than you are.  I joined the ranks of the independently poor (retired) many moons ago for health reasons and miraculously my health immediately improved.  Don't miss working at all.  I think that I am older than my old craftsman lathe.  Not sure on that.  Could be a push one way or the other.


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## Dhal22

I just turned 55.


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## lordbeezer

I was 30 couple years ago. Turned 69 in August. Lot of friends didn’t make it past 20-21.


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## wlburton

mickri said:


> Maybe the better question would be is your lathe older than you are.  I joined the ranks of the independently poor (retired) many moons ago for health reasons and miraculously my health immediately improved.  Don't miss working at all.  I think that I am older than my old craftsman lathe.  Not sure on that.  Could be a push one way or the other.


I was two years old when my South Bend lathe was shipped in 1950.  I was not the original owner.


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## John O

59 in March


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## 7milesup

I am 56.


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## Hawkeye

69 in June.


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## jocat54

Just turned 75 last month.


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## 682bear

49 in May...



7milesup said:


> I am 56.  One of my brothers that I was VERY close to died at age 58 from brain cancer.  That was a wake-up call to enjoy life.



I lost my sister to cancer 12 years ago... she was 39... I really miss her.

-Bear


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## sycle1

61 and still kicking, not very fast, not very strong, but kicking none the less.
They say the heart failure drugs are keeping me alive.
I say only just!


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## SLK001

I don't know... I'll do the math, then get back to you.


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## gonzo

Just turned 80.
 Jealous husband hasn't caught up with me yet.


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## Martin W

I have been 39 for 17 years now!


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## Braeden P

Turning 14 in march.


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## projectnut

Deleted


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## H F Smitty

Will be 68 in August! All in all its been a good life, very fortunate to have made it this far!


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## Jubil

Old enough to “know better” and “young enough to give it a try anyway”

Chuck


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## macardoso

28, got started in CNC & machining at 16.


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## shadetreedad

Barely used 62

Only driven to the bar(s) on Saturday night!

Mike


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## alloy

Well currently after 65 votes here the 60-70 crew has the most hits, 36.9%.

Interestingly enough the chevy nova site I'm on had more votes, 86 total.  That surprises me there are more votes because the  site isn't that busy like this one is.  But the 60-70 group is also in the lead at 35%.

I'm enjoying the "interesting"  responses.  Keep posting and voting.


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## projectnut

There are probably dozens more in the 70-80 group.  They either don't admit it yet or haven't figured out how to vote.


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## Bi11Hudson

Martin W said:


> I have been 39 for 17 years now!


40 with 30 something years experience.

.


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## EricB

I could pass for 21 until my late 30s, then the aging clock caught up with me. So, 21 with 39 years experience.


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## Arielht500

68 in November I think.


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## pontiac428

After seeing the poll graph, I'm worried that H-M won't be around by the time I retire.  Manual machining will be a lost art by then, I suppose.  More so than it already is.  I'm good at tuning and rebuilding carburetors, too...  Whatever shall I do?


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## Dave Smith

78 here and just a kid at heart and a tremendous backlog of ideas in my head to keep me spinning.
Dave


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## Janderso

jbobb1 said:


> I'll be 65 in November, old guy.


65 rules!


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## Janderso

mickri said:


> Maybe the better question would be is your lathe older than you are.  I joined the ranks of the independently poor (retired) many moons ago for health reasons and miraculously my health immediately improved.  Don't miss working at all.  I think that I am older than my old craftsman lathe.  Not sure on that.  Could be a push one way or the other.


Ooh, good one.
I’m 65. My lathe is only 46


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## RJSakowski

pontiac428 said:


> After seeing the poll graph, I'm worried that H-M won't be around by the time I retire.  Manual machining will be a lost art by then, I suppose.  More so than it already is.  I'm good at tuning and rebuilding carburetors, too...  Whatever shall I do?


While it is an interesting graph, I think it probably has more to do with who has time to peruse the posts.  I don't know what the membership number is currently, but I would guess that the percentage of members responding to the poll is less than .04%.  

The bigger issue is the decline of the number of skilled manual machinists in the work force.  There is no denying that CNC machining is a more cost efficient method of manufacturing nor that CNC machining requires a completely different skill set than manual machining.  

However, even though the demand from industry will decrease to near zero levels.  I suspect that the hobby machinists group will grow.  There is a certain mystic about being taking a lump of metal and turning it into a true work of art and have it be functional as well.  For me, it instills a sense of power knowing that I can rise above my surround environment, providing for my needs and those of people around me, and not being dependent on the world around me.  I suspect that is very true for many others as well, based on the posts on this forum.


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## Dave Smith

I guess I should have said I was 7 yrs old when my two 1950 Willys trucks were made and 3 years old when my 46 Willys  was made. I was born in 1943
Dave


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## AGCB97

My lathe is 32 years older than me!  See post #20, pg 2


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## addertooth

Yes, there is probably a financial bias with who has a Machine Shop in their garage.  Many younger folks are just starting out, and don't have thousands to invest in shop equipment.   For many, peak earning years are in their 50s and 60s.  Usually, they have most of their bills paid off, and have more discretionary money floating around. 

The lathe and mill in the garage are "infants", but some of my hand tools (Starrett level, Browne and Sharp combination square, etc) are older than my father.

In the trade I work in, I am considered the "old man".  But then, Information Technology and Engineering has a lot of youngsters in it.


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## RJSakowski

I have no " shop machines" that are older than me.  The closest is my Atlas/Craftsman 6 x 18 which was made when I was a teenager.  All other shop machines were purchased new.  However, I do have some old iron.  The oldest documented  is my 30" sheet metal shear which is badged 1893.  In addition, I have several post drills, leg vises, and multiple anvils which almost certainly were made more than a century ago and likely in the 1800's.


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## FOMOGO

My latest lathe, the 26" Niles is at least 131 years old (1891or earlier) Makes me feel like a kid again. Mike


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## pontiac428

@addertooth and @RJSakowski, you guys are probably right.  I'm comfortably in my 40s, but I've been doing this a long time.  It's because of my dad.  He had me in the shop at a very young age, teaching me and letting me play with metal.  He helped me convert a cargo container into a shop (while I was living in a mobile home), gave me a Millermatic 35 welder, a drill press, a plasma cutter, and later a RF31, all around the very beginning of my 20's.  Before he retired, his job let him stumble into used equipment for a favor or a deal.  He still does things like that, I got a tapmatic with a full set of collets in the mail from him last fall.  He built a tapping jig table, so he figured I'd get more use out of it.  I feel lucky, because now it's a lifestyle to tinker in the shop and do what others can't on a whim.  Long live H-M!


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## Canuck75

82


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## Shootymacshootface

I'm 54, and I never would have imagined that the second part of my life would be better than the first part. I consider divorcing my 1st wife the beginning of the second part!


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## intrepid

Looking at the ages of members got me thinking about the wealth of knowledge here.  If we could add it all up I think we would be amazed.  I am proud to be a 62 year old member and thankful for all the knowledge and wisdom offered by the older and younger member alike.  Thank you all.


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## Braeden P

All of my machines are older than me and I use tools that are really old like my 12” inch starrett no. 4 rule that was my great grandfathers made in 1922 a 0-1 mic from 1908 a all metal square from 1867 and a anvil from the early 1600s most of my hand tools are from 1960s and older and most of those are from my great grandfather. The tools no being accurate is not a problem for me. My lathe made in 1941 is more accurate than most lathes made today and all of the others tools are just as accurate.


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## BGHansen

62.  Looks like I need to update my avatar photo; around 45 in that picture


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## Flyinfool

I am not just older than dirt, I was one of the engineers that worked to invent dirt. I think we did a good job back then. Dirt is pretty dirty.


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## Brento

29 last month


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## Asm109

My lathe is older than I by 15 years.
My mill was bought new by my grandfather-in-law the year I was born.


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## Ken from ontario

Ooops,


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## westerner

pontiac428 said:


> now it's a lifestyle to tinker in the shop


Yes it is! I count my blessings almost as often as I should


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## westerner

One of my Dad's buddies was an old retired union commercial electrician. 
He said it thus-

"I am so old, when God said "Let there be light", I wired it"


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## savarin

The worst part is the lack of anyone wanting to do the stuff we do. I only know one other bloke (a close friend) who does this and he's in his 80's


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## frankly2

84 last month


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## Nigel123

72 last month
Retired 20 years ago
Started making tools and things I can use
Then came making tools and things I might use
Then came making tools and things I will never use


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## Badabinski

I'll be 30 in a couple of months.


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## RJSakowski

There have been 2K views of the thread but only 108 votes.  A number of viewers replied but didn't bother to vote.  Judging from those that did, the majority (66%) of forum members are at or near retirement age.  A survey does little good if no one replies.

I make a decision to post a certain type of content based on my perception of the wants and needs of the group.  Based on this survey, it appears I should be posting old war stories rather than a thread to help some new and aspiring machinist.  You do no one any favors by not voting.


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## woodchucker

RJSakowski said:


> There have been 2K views of the thread but only 108 votes.  A number of viewers replied but didn't bother to vote.  Judging from those that did, the majority (66%) of forum members are at or near retirement age.  A survey does little good if no one replies.
> 
> I make a decision to post a certain type of content based on my perception of the wants and needs of the group.  Based on this survey, it appears I should be posting old war stories rather than a thread to help some new and aspiring machinist.  You do no one any favors by not voting.


it's how most everyone is, they would rather sit on the sidelines.


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## wlburton

RJSakowski said:


> There have been 2K views of the thread but only 108 votes.  A number of viewers replied but didn't bother to vote.  Judging from those that did, the majority (66%) of forum members are at or near retirement age.  A survey does little good if no one replies.
> 
> I make a decision to post a certain type of content based on my perception of the wants and needs of the group.  Based on this survey, it appears I should be posting old war stories rather than a thread to help some new and aspiring machinist.  You do no one any favors by not voting.


I participated in the poll and also posted a comment and would love to see an accurate breakdown of the demographics of the group, but I (at age 73) wouldn't be surprised if the percentages would turn out to be about the same if everyone participated.  Still, that would mean that there would be several thousand people in most of the age groups.  We still wouldn't know what the ability or knowledge level of group members would be, since that isn't necessarily tied to age.  Since this is a "hobby machinist" group I'd assume that many of us, maybe a majority, are on the (relative) lower end of experience.  With that said, I would encourage you to keep posting the kind of things you have been posting, because there are undoubtedly thousands of us in the group who appreciate them!


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## Navy Chief

Well for those of us accessing the site using Tapatalk from mobile phones there is no poll...

For the record I'm 50 (and can't vote in the poll).

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk


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## WobblyHand

65, last May.  Voted in poll last week, but failed to respond to this thread.  Just fixed that. 

Slowly learning the art and science of machining.  Hope to be passable some day.  In the meantime, just plugging away at it.


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## jwmelvin

Navy Chief said:


> Well for those of us accessing the site using Tapatalk from mobile phones there is no poll...
> 
> For the record I'm 50 (and can't vote in the poll).



You have to tap the first post, select “more,” then select “web view”

I’m 46.


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## Charles scozzari

Looking at 76 in June


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## addertooth

WobblyHand said:


> 65, last May.  Voted in poll last week, but failed to respond to this thread.  Just fixed that.
> 
> Slowly learning the art and science of machining.  Hope to be passable some day.  In the meantime, just plugging away at it.



I agree that machining is largely a science.  I will also throw in there is some ART in gauging "mystery metal" and figuring out ideal feeds and speeds to get the finish you desire.  Many hobby machinists tend to use whatever metal they can get their hands on.  

I will admit to stopping the vehicle to "recover" mystery metal on the side of the road.  I suspect there are others here who have shown 
"environmental concern" and done the same.


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## frankly2

I’m shocked to see myself in the 2.5 percent bracket ! !


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## Charles scozzari

frankly2 said:


> I’m shocked to see myself in the 2.5 percent bracket ! !


I just pray that most of, if not all are well, Then all's good.


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## woodchucker

frankly2 said:


> I’m shocked to see myself in the 2.5 percent bracket ! !


20-30 year old Frank?  Looking good in your Avatar...


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## jarhead

just turned 66 at the end of April


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## Bi11Hudson

Entered the poll waayyy back on page 1, this was my (younger) brother's comment on catching the O. L. D. disease. Seems when he got to figuring that it was a lot more fun being in my 20s during the 70s, when nowadays I don't have as much fun being in my 70s during the 20s. I told him to just hang loose, he makes 70 in a year or three.

.


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## higgite

Way old enough to know better, but still too young to resist. 

Tom


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## IamNotImportant

My mind says that i am 18, but my body says that i am not!


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## sdavilla

Old enough to say "Get off my lawn"


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## savarin

I found out the other day I am now officially "old".
I had a fall. I didnt fall over, thats what youngsters do, I had a fall.
It should have been serious but I was very lucky in that forgotton body memory kicked in.
I was walking the dog but looking up at the lack of clouds but feeling rain drops when I almost trod on his paw.
I felt it before my full weight pressed down on it so lifted my foot and moved it forwards some more to clear it.
Unfortunately the dog had also moved in front of me so my leg couldnt complete the move and I started to topple.
This is when the body memory kicked in, my arms folded up and pressed tight into my chest, my head turned to my right shoulder with my chin tucked in, I bent at the waist, twisted sideways and sort of rolled down my leg and hip and hit sideways on my shoulder completing the turn and roll and completely flipping over.
Ok, it hurt a bit but no broken bones, small graze on left knee, tiny bruise on left hip that was all.
I was just so amazed it all happened automatically with no thought from me because it all happened so fast.
All those years of falling over ice skating, ice hockey, skate boarding cycling, etc etc actually had a use.
If I had done the usual old folks fall of thrusting my hands out to stop the fall I would have definitely broken my arm or wrist.


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## Just for fun

I just can't believe how old people look that are the same age as I am.......


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## Charles scozzari

Just for fun said:


> I just can't believe how old people look that are the same age as I am.......


WOW.         me either


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