What to do when you are over 50

Sunday 28 April 2013 - Last week we had a leaflet through the door asking if we wanted to go to the over 50's activity day that was being held in the village the following week. I have seen these advertised before and have always wondered what the deal was behind them as most people are still at work in their 50's and if they are not they are more than capable of getting out and about anyway. I was going to go and have a look but in the end I didn't have time however it got me thinking about the AGE thing again.

I think we would all agree we are not at energetic as we were in our 20's and that our joints create from time to time but as someone who took up running at 49 years old I am a lot fitter now that I was in my 40's (and a bit slimmer). I think we need to change the perception of younger people on how we feel when we are heading  towards the best years of our lives.

Having a looked on line there is a website that offers "Gap years for the over 50's" how good is that and there are all sorts of other things you can do; wine tasting, helping honey bees survive and taking up blogging are just a few. So lets change peoples perception of us slightly mature peeps who don't always want to knit (I was doing that in my 20s).

Bucket or wish list.

I know I haven't posted anything for a week I seem to be so busy. You think that being unemployed you have all the time in the world but I have so much on I wounder how I will fit work in again when I do get a job.

Today has been lovely, very warm although a little windy. Anyway I though it was about time I had the roof down on the car this year so I pulled into a la by and took the roof down it was lovely to be driving with fresh air flying around you.

I was going to buy a soft top car in my twenties it was going to by the next car I bought after I had had my new one (also on my bucket list to buy my own brand new car). Anyway I didn't get the chance to buy one as I got married and with children soon after it would not have been practical.

After reviewing my bucket list a couple of years ago I said I was going to take it off my list however now with my children flying the nest I  treat myself to one. It is only a small one, and it has hard, fold away top, but I have really loved using it. It is very impractical as it only has two seats and very little boot space but it is lovely on a sunny day to drive with the top down.

Other things on my list that I have achieved are: Fly in a helicopter, travel in a hot air balloon, visit Disney Land and lots more travelling. Do you have a list?

50 years old how do you find it.

Last weekend I was having a conversation with a gentleman whom I see occasionally but do not know that well. We have always got on and I thought this was because he saw me as an equal but it turns out he sees me as a lady of his mothers age  and someone who should be respected. It was, for me, another one of those jaw dropping moments however he was actually being very respectful to me.

So this week I decided to see how other people get on and I have been asking friends how they found it when they got to their 50th birthday and if they have noticed any difference at all. This has been very interesting and on the whole most people have actually noticed a difference.

One friend said it is her family who now see her differently, having just retiried early from work she is enjoying some free time and spending time with her very first grand child. She said that if there is something she doesn't quite get they just say "ah bless" and imply it is her age.....

Another friend said she has noticed she gets a lot of respect at work as she is now an older person in her profession. This is nice to have a very positive note about being older.

One of my running partners said she has noticed a difference at work but it is mixed with some negative and some positive feed back. She herself decided when she got to 50 that is was time for a change and  she took up running in a big way. She is taking part in the London Marathon this year. We wish you good luck with this venture go girl...

Lastly I asked this question to two other friends who are nearer 70 years old rather than 50 and they really couldn't remember anything that had changed when they got to 50 but did admin it was a while ago and they are feeling older now anyway. Both have been  retired for some time and I love the times I get together for a catch up with them.

Our Changing world

 

The top ten in demand jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004

Today's learners will have 10 to 14 jobs by the time they reach 38

1 in 4 workers have been with their current employer less than a year

1 - 2 workers have been with them less than 5 years.

These are some fascinating statistics and it is amazing to think that we are actually teaching children who will be applying for jobs that do not yet exist and I thought deciding on a career was difficult! 

In all my time of working I have only had 3 employers  but clearly this is not the way the world is working anymore. It seems as  though there is no such thing as rewarding loyalty any more. We have seen this with insurance companies if you stay with the same company, year after year, you will pay a lot more than if you shop around and change companies, as we all know it is the same with energy companies but is this a good thing we will have to wait and see?

I know that kids today would not be able to live without a mobile phone or a computer but it would be interesting to try it for a while to see how they got on,  after all we managed to live without them for a number of years very successfully. I wonder what will be the "must have, cannot live without "  gadget that we will be using in 10 or 15 years time  and will I want to learn how to use it!

Do we ever stop learning.

Do we ever stop learning I think not. If you asked my Mum  this question she would say that she is to old to learn anything but in her 80's she has a mobile phone and has learnt to text so that she can keep in touch with us all. Sometimes she gets it wrong or looses the text and has to start again but never the less she can usually manage to send us all a text on a regular basis.

In my last job I took on a role that was a very steep learning curve and, at times, I did feel as though I was very much outside my comfort zone.At the same time it was all good experience and I am pleased I was given the opportunity to try new things. Since I was made redundant I have had more time to try things that I just didn't have time to do with a busy job and other commitments. For example I have started blogging and I am loving it, this is my second blog and I might even look at starting another one. I am looking into Twitter but this I find more of a challenge to understand why I would need to use it. I have dabbled with making and selling my own crafts on line, by craft fairs and by party selling this did not work well however it was worth a try.  I have also had time to spend a bit more time in the kitchen and try different recipe's using different foods, herbs and ingredients. Some meals have turned out very yummy but others have not been so good and we will not try again. Well time for me to go and see what else I can look into learning.

What is good about being 50

So is there anything that is good about being 50. If you were to ask a teenager this question they would probably tell you that you were old and that you will soon die. However when all of a sudden you get to 50 you do wonder where all those years went. I may have had my 50th birthday a while ago but I don't feel old, I feel wiser, I still like having fun and I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be silly when I want to.

The last 20 or so years were spent raising a family and watching them grow into adults and finding their own way in the world, letting them make their own mistakes but being their to guide them if they need you. I am so proud of them.

I have to confess I do have a bucket list that I am working through. I started the list when I was very young  and then it was a "wish list". I was going to write to "Jim will fix it" (pleased I didn't) On my list was to go on an aeroplane, to go abroad, to go in a hot air balloon. Although these things seem very small now, to a child growing up in the 60's, these were things that other people did and we did not.  The name of my list was changed to a Bucket List  after the film came out and my daughter renamed it (she has her own list and is also working her way through hers too). I am steadily working through it and I have to confess that as I tick off somethings I also still add others, its fun to look at what you have achieved and when.

Getting a job when you are over 50's

Things have changed a lot in 50 years but you would expect them to really we don't want to be staying the same but how do you keep up!

After 17 years working for a local authority I was made redundant, 3 years before I could take my pension. I am looking for work but almost a year and a half later I am still looking.

So what is the difference between me looking for work at 50 and me looking for work at 30. I have far more experience in life and have covered a variety of jobs during my time at work. I have had a few interviews but most of the time I have had no reply at all.  What has been interesting  with the few interviews I have had is that I have been asked if " I am set in my ways after spending 17 years working in one job" and "what new things have I tried recently" I am sure that neither of these questions were asked of the other candidates.

The only difference I can see between getting a job now and getting one 20 years ago is that I am over 50 and I cannot change that I am still me. I like to have a laugh, love spending time with my family and friends, like being creative with crafts and enjoy travelling does that make me an odd person I don't think so.