October Novel Prep Challenge

"And no, not all older people have health issues. Only those older people that haven't taken care of themselves." Sometimes true, but I wouldn't say only. Some diseases are strictly genetic. Some diseases are inexplicable, like my own age-46 Parkinson's diagnosis, or many cancers. Also, things like failing eyesight, hearing, and memory are realities as we age, regardless of our efforts to care for our bodies.

Elizabeth - I'm only 48, not 60 as requested, but I second Norma's life experience observation. I used to be more high strung, with a more sensitive or volatile temper, and more of a control freak, with more anxiety about things going wrong. I'm still all of that, but not nearly so much. I attribute that to two things: (1) my much calmer, more practical husband who diffuses me quickly, which over time has helped me think more like he does in the first place (why is this even a big deal?), and (2) life experience, which has taught me that outcomes are rarely as bad as our imaginations lead us to believe, especially those of us with fiction writing tendencies. 😂 On a related note, I care a lot less about what other people think because experience has taught me that most opinions don't matter - only those of our families, friends, and people with direct influence like bosses and coworkers. I definitely don't care what that guy in the other car thinks. 😁

One other thing about older people to keep in mind: we've probably lost more loved ones than our younger counterparts. We have more experience with death, its reality, its necessity, and its ultimate inevitably.