Facing Old Age, What to Do With My One Precious, Fleeting Life?
When your children are full-grown and both your parents and your in-laws have died, it’s possible you’re in the Third Age, like I am. The Third Age is a term from gerontology — the study of aging — that means early old age, not yet to the advanced old age category, now considered, “The Fourth Age.” So consider the Third Age to be from around 60 to 70-plus.
And if you’re like me, you may have some important choices to consider, top among them: What do I want to do with the rest of my one, precious, fleeting life?
First, I have to acknowledge it’s a privilege to even be able to ask the question. Many people do not have the resources to allow them to stop and consider what they “want” to do. They may be busy trying to make enough money to scrape by, let alone to save enough for retirement. Or they may be saddled with a serious health condition — their own or that of a partner or family member — that takes up their time and saps their energy.
Still others my age may be all set: working in an established career, whether planning for retirement or planning never to retire, fully engaged in the world of their work. These people are on a clear path that they feel no need to reevaluate in the Third Age.
