Follow
Share
This discussion has been closed for comment. Start a New Discussion.
Find Care & Housing
cw,

I know, right! The ‘mam’ word threw me for a loop!
(0)
Report

So, I find this funny. We think of the 60’s as the progressive and rebellious era. You know, burning bras and everything. Well, my grandmother never wore a bra in her life! Hahaha 😝. She only wore a slip underneath her dress. No bra!

Grandma never owned a pair of pants either. Not even when pants became popular for women to wear. She wore casual dresses during the week and nice dresses on Sunday for church and Sunday dinner. Everyone dressed up for church.

My mom and aunt wore pants. Grandma had no desire to put on a pair of pants.

It was the Dick Van Dyke show that made pants popular by Mary Tyler Moore.
(2)
Report

Need, I heard it was Katherine Hepburn who made pants all the thing. My Mom wore them in the 30s and 40s, kind of baggy gaberdines. They were pretty. She was quite the fashion plate unlike me in my Levis and wrangler. I have one black knit skirt. Poor thing has to go EVERYWHERE. Weddings, Funerals, parties. Good thing I don't attend many of them or it would wear out. I did have a few of those according tiny pleated flower skirts I could twist into a ball when I went to europe. Below the knee length. They were good travelers.
(1)
Report

One of my favorite quotes:

"It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage."
Indiana Jones

Chronological age doesn't make me a senior but I've got an awful lot of mileage! which does.
(3)
Report

Cwillie, we regularly have young male Mormons in pairs knocking on our doors trying to convert. They are by far the most common Americans here. They always say ‘sir’ and ‘mam’, irrespective of age. It doesn’t increase their conversion success rate!
(1)
Report

@Cwillie
Life expectancy, to be accurate, is 78.9 in the USA...so, a distinction without much of a difference.
(2)
Report

Alva,

True, Katherine Hepburn did like pants as well. Loved her look! Great actress too. So many wonderful actresses in that era. Mom and I always loved watching Bette Davis movies together.

Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte was a favorite of ours. It was filmed in Louisiana, not far from New Orleans at Houma’s House plantation. Bette Davis bought beautiful candle operas for the dining room table as a parting gift. If you tour the plantation you will see them proudly displayed.

I have several oil paintings of the beautiful plantation homes. My husband’s grandmother was an incredible artist. She did beautiful paintings of our magnolias, swamp scenes, local architecture, etc. Her art hangs in various places throughout New Orleans.

It’s funny to listen to interviews from actors/actresses who worked during this era. Barbara Eden said that her belly button couldn’t show in the costume she wore for I Dream of Jeannie.
(1)
Report

In regards to “mam”…my mother made me say “Yes mam” “Yes Sir” to anyone that was my elder. A sign of respect. I am now 64 and find myself saying “mam” and “sir” to anyone I SUSPECT is my elder. My husband told me that I am saying “mam” and “sir” to folks younger than me. I guess that is my southern heritage,
(1)
Report

I wonder what percentage of products are marketed towards the aging population.

My mom had certain catalogs that were geared towards the elderly. She had that tool to help her button up her blouses. She used it for awhile until her Parkinson’s disease progressed further.

Tons of products are produced at the other end of the spectrum too. People spend a fortune on baby products too.


Msblcb,

Yep, we were taught to say it.

I did feel old the first time someone said it to me because I was carded to get into bars until my late 20’s.

We could legally drink at 18 in New Orleans. Later on the drinking age was changed to 21. I always went to clubs to hear music with my friends.

My aunt would pay the child’s price ticket for me at the movies when I was 15! LOL 😆 She said that she was saving money and that I could pass for a 12 year old which I did because I was tiny.
(1)
Report

Technically we are all "aging" we begin aging the moment we are born (or some my say at conception but not going to get into that) and stop aging the moment we die.
Now the "senior" definition is a bit difficult.
I think the general definition is 62 or older.
Medicare can be started at 65.
Stores and other places that give discounts often use 65.

I think there are Young 65's and I think there are Old 65's
I do not dwell on the number.

I think there is a difference between a 65 year old person now and a 65 year old person 40 years ago. We are aging differently, more slowly if that makes sense.
The best thing you can do for yourself is to keep active, be proactive. Make sure that all your "stuff" is organized. Healthcare wishes, legal matters, have things written so that family can find what is needed when it is needed.
And enjoy the life you have, do not put off some of the things you want to do. As we know from being caregivers you never know what is going to happen.
And as caregivers, make things easy for the people that are in your life, the ones that may one day be your caregiver. And if you do not want to put family in that position make plans NOW.
(0)
Report

Getting carded when 32 was the best !!! Lol.
I stopped in a liquor store next to the grocery store quick , the day before Thanksgiving , for a bottle of wine for my Dad . I had my baby on my hip too . 😂😂🙄. I said to the cashier “ really ? I’m 32 with a baby in my arms . “. The guy said that people borrow a baby to trick me into thinking they are older so they could avoid being carded in here.
Where were they getting babies to borrow ??🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️
I went home and told DH , his response was “ you took the baby in the liquor store ?”. 😬🤔.
(4)
Report

Way,

My husband was carded when he was starting to get gray hair. Same thing as you, he was purchasing a bottle of wine for us to have for dinner.

My response was, “Did you hug and kiss the cashier for thinking that you were younger? LOL 😆

He said that he looked at the cashier and said, “You’ve got to be kidding! Don’t you see my gray hair?” He was in his 40’s.

She replied saying that she sold liquor to a teenage girl who looked much older than she was and got into trouble with her boss, so now she was carding everyone! 😃

Gosh, I remember when my friend’s parents would send their kids to the store to buy cigarettes for them. No one thought anything of it. Now cigarettes aren’t sold to kids anymore for parents and grandparents.

Taking a kid to buy liquor…well, there are neighborhood bars that I have seen people take their kids to because they are picking up sandwiches for lunch. Some bar and grills have great sandwiches. The owners don’t tell them anything about their kids.

We can buy wine, beer and liquor in our grocery stores here in New Orleans. We have drive through Daiquiri bars too! 🤣

My oldest daughter’s insurance went down when she lived Birmingham, Alabama. The agent said our rates were higher because of our drinking laws.
(1)
Report

My hair started turning gray when I was 45. I've always embraced it and loved it. I've never colored it. I like the color of my hair.

That said, I am 68 and still waiting to grow up. I feel like I have so much life ahead of me yet to live, places I want to go, things I want to do. I'm healthy (just overweight, but been that since the 80s). I can't live an active lifestyle right now because of my husband's needs. I've never lived on my own (unless you consider college living on your own). I've never gotten up in the morning without having to consult with someone else about my plans for the day. I look forward to growing up and I grow old, and as of right now, I am not old!
(2)
Report

Graygrammie,

We are the same age. I love my silver hair. My mom started out with silver but as she aged her hair turned a beautiful snow white. Her hair stylist always told her that she could have been a hair model.

My grandmother also had white hair. My grandfather and my dad’s hair was silver

One time I wanted to try a different shade and my hair came out purple! 🤣. I had to attend my daughter’s play with purple hair!
(2)
Report

NeedHelpWithMom, ah the dreaded "Ma'am!" LOL. Because I live in the South, it probably wasn't as much of a shock to my system because we lean heavy on the "yes, ma'am" or "no, ma'am". BUT I do distinctly remember the VERY first time that a doctor "ma'am'd" me. And there is most certainly a difference.

First of all - he looked all of 12-years-old and I was already secretly calling him "Dr. Doogie" in my head - and he was probably young enough that the reference would have gone right over his head. He was my eye doctor and it was our very first time meeting. He was incredibly sweet and I liked him right away.

However - he quite literally called me "Ma'am" and told me that I needed PROGESSIVES in the same sentence. Dear God man what are you doing???

I smiled sweetly and said "I really like you, so I'm going to give you a life lesson." He started laughing. "Please, whatever you do...please don't ever call another woman ma'am in the same sentence that you tell her she needs progressive lenses." He really laughed and said "I'll try to remember that. You have a point."

I know deep down he was honestly just trying to be polite and respectful, but something about hearing ma'am with the eyewear of my people just hit me like a gut punch!
(4)
Report

Blue,

Too funny! Southern gal here too, so I completely get what you are saying! Still, that very first time being called mam stings a bit!
(0)
Report

NHWM, on my, the purple hair! You were just trendsetting before it was time. Around here, when I see a lady with purple hair, I think to myself, "She must be a die-hard Ravens fan."
(1)
Report

Graygrammie,

Thanks for the giggle about when I accidentally died my hair purple!

I needed the comic relief, hubby is having an MRI today and I am praying that all goes well.

Nope, not a Raven’s fan. Die hard New Orleans Saints fan here! Black and Gold.

LSU’s colors are Purple and Gold. Our daughters went to LSU.
(2)
Report

This discussion has been closed for comment. Start a New Discussion.
Start a Discussion
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter