Men and ageing....

 

 From the book of face HERE. Not my post, just copied since I felt it was worth sharing.

Irish

Men & Aging...As someone who just turned 62, let me tell you straight up: getting old SUCKS.

The hardest part for me? My mind still thinks I can do the things I did at 22…hell, even 42.

But reality well my friends...reality says something different. Usually in the form of sore knees, slower recovery, or the reminder that time doesn’t care how young you feel inside.

And here’s the kicker aging hits men differently than women, and it’s almost always framed negatively. Women get “wine nights,” “self-care Sundays,” and “50 & Fabulous.” We men on the other hand hit 40 and it’s dad-bod jokes, hairline memes, and the tired “midlife crisis” cliché.

Meanwhile, we’re carrying decades of grind, responsibility, and the pressure of knowing we don’t get to screw up, not even once, without paying for it forever.

But here’s the thing: while we may not be as physically capable as we were, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally? This can be our time to shine. If we choose to.

Getting older can actually be the best upgrade a man gets:

·         Fewer illusions.

·         Clearer standards.

·         A tighter circle.

·         Better priorities.

You stop auditioning for people who don’t care and don’t matter and start investing in the ones who do. You finally learn to prioritize the one person who’s been neglected for decades…YOU!

But we also need to understand that society doesn’t celebrate that. Instead, it pathologizes it:

·         Buy a bike? “Crisis.”

·         Start lifting again? “Crisis.”

·         Change careers? “Crisis.”

Well here’s a thought, maybe it’s not a crisis at all. Maybe it’s a man finally steering his own life. If we treated male aging as mastery instead of malfunction, you’d see fewer men checking out and more stepping up

Less shaming. More respect. Less “grow up, man-child.” More “good, now go build something.”

For far too long, men have been told to provide while nobody provides for them. That has to change. And it starts with men prioritizing themselves.

So tell me: What’s been the hardest part of aging for you as a man?

And what’s the best upgrade you wouldn’t trade for your 20s?