Advice for someone turning 60
That's me!!
I turn 60 next month and am very excited to be this age and still feeling as good as I do. Then today I happened upon this video on Youtube:
Whew, that was depressing, but I’m not sorry I saw it. In case you aren’t going to take the time to watch it, I will sum it up for you:
1. Exercise! You can build strength, balance, and endurance much more easily before 60 than afterwards.
2. Make more friends. Everyone you love is going to die and you need to have some one left to talk to. (This one seemed harsh; after her three besties died, even if she had other friends, they wouldn’t have made up for the ones who knew her all her life.)
3. Put your affairs in order. (Renee and I have homemade wills, which I know is ridiculous, though I imagine they would hold up.)
4. Retirement — be prepared to build a new life. (I’m already semi-retired and doing great, thank you.)
5. Love fiercely and never take for granted your life partner. (Check.)
6. Forgive! Don’t waste years estranged from people. (Seeing this video made me want to try to reach out to Amber again even though she has ignored the past seven years of my mail, calls, gifts, messages, etc. Couldn’t hurt, right?)
7. Stop giving your adult children advice! Every time you give them advice you’re telling them you don’t think they can manage their own lives. Your only job now is to love and emotionally support them.
8. Write everything down, including all the stories you’d want your grandchildren to know about you.
9. Have courage; don’t let your fears run your life. I am still working on this one.
10. The last 30 years go much faster than the first 60. That is pretty scary as I can’t believe how fast I made it to 60!
But you know what’s even scarier? After I wrote all this, it occurred to me that maybe this whole thing was created with AI. I went back and looked at the video, and the sunlight behind the woman doesn’t move, even though she’s talking for more than 20 minutes. She never visibly swallows, either — nor says um nor stumbles over a single word. I really hate that there is no way to tell for sure what is AI anymore! Why can’t we make a rule that if a thing is created with AI we have to have a label on it that says so? Googling this did not confirm this particular woman is AI, but it did confirm that there are many AI elderly people being created to dispense advise. Sob. Though this one is kind of funny.
OK, so screw this AI bullshit. I hereby open the floor to all of you. As I turn 60, what advice would you give me?


Hello dear Lanette. I would like to wax eloquent but merc ret saw the end of my motherboard. My computer is in the repair shop and I’m typing on a tiny phone with one finger never having managed the two thumb method. The first thing that comes to my mind is “you got this!” Because having witnessed you here I’ve seen how fiercely and tenderly you grapple with and embrace life. I also like to remind people turning sixty that for a decade you can call yourself a sexagenarian! I’m a septuagenarian now but still too close to my sixties to distill the decade. If we’re paying attention we all know we’re living in parlous times. I’m wishing you renewable resources that you can call on. Courage humor. Respite when you need it and amazing grace and many moments of joy! Happy birthday and happy decade!
Wow…this video is quite something! It has made me think 🤔