How can you be too old for this?

@Fleura (30409)
United Kingdom
April 18, 2018 7:32am CST
I had an appointment this morning during the course of which I had a strange conversation with the woman I was meeting. It’s a lovely day here and I mentioned that I had intended to cycle there, but ended up doing things in the garden and made myself late so I had to drive instead. ‘I used to ride a bike too’ she told me, ‘I used to love going for rides all over the place with my Dad when I was young, but I don’t think I’ll ever ride again now’. Our local outdoor pool has been refurbished and I asked her if she knew whether it was open again yet and whether she ever went there. ‘Oh no’ she said, ‘I would go if any of my friends had children but at my age I’m too old to go otherwise’. How old was this woman do you think? If I had been asked to guess based on the conversation alone, I might have guessed she was in her 80s perhaps. But no, she told me she was 22. All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2018.
20 people like this
21 responses
@LadyDuck (471482)
• Switzerland
18 Apr 18
So, this woman at 22 thinks she is too old to ride a bike and to swim in a pool. I wonder what she is going to do when she turns 40, riding a wheelchair may be.
4 people like this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 18
I can only hope that in due course she might come round to the idea again. Otherwise she has a long and boring life ahead of here I think!
4 people like this
@LadyDuck (471482)
• Switzerland
18 Apr 18
@Fleura This is my opinion, if you feel "old" at 22, you are ready to live a boring life.
4 people like this
@ramapo17 (30441)
• Melbourne, Florida
4 Jun 18
@LadyDuck You made a great point there and I am still laughing.
2 people like this
@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
18 Apr 18
Hi Fleur. How come she looks old if she is just only 22? But the pool looks enticing. I will never get too old for that.
3 people like this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 18
She doesn't look old at all, but she seems to be old inside her head!
2 people like this
19 Apr 18
Her thinking was old I guess...
1 person likes this
19 Apr 18
She was joking about her speculation if she were asked to guessed the age based on the conversation alone...
1 person likes this
@marguicha (223129)
• Chile
18 Apr 18
I am 72 and hope to have my knees "done over" so that I can do some things I don´t do anymore. But it does seem that it has taken me a lot more to age than that poor woman you mention. I guess she was born old
2 people like this
@marguicha (223129)
• Chile
19 Apr 18
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 18
I don't feel as old as she does. Maybe you'd call me immature ; )
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340256)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Apr 18
Goodness, that sounds very odd.
3 people like this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 18
Rather sad too, I think.
1 person likes this
18 Apr 18
When I was reading first and second paragraph, i thought you were talking to a woman who is over 50 years old.
2 people like this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 18
I would have thought that too, well over 50, like double that!
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 18
@Iam_jauntyjen I still think I'm 25 : )
18 Apr 18
@Fleura when i was 22 i thought i was only fifteen years old hahahahahahaha!
1 person likes this
@PreAnne (42)
19 Apr 18
Ageing is in the head...a person in the 80s can still feel young and a person in the 20s can still feel old...
2 people like this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 18
Very true; I think she has a long old age ahead of her.
@rebelann (112873)
• El Paso, Texas
18 Apr 18
22 is old?? Watt the heck?? I'm 68 and because I have bowel reactions to swimming I don't go but would love to if I didn't. Of course the last think I would want to do is go into a pool where there are a bunch of kids, that to me is just not fun.
2 people like this
@marlina (154131)
• Canada
18 Apr 18
Maybe she has something physical stopping her from doing those things now.
2 people like this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 18
Maybe, but she looked perfectly alright.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (106425)
• Marion, Ohio
18 Apr 18
You are never to old to do those things as long as you are physically able. Hope her outlook changes or life is going to be very boring
2 people like this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 18
Absolutely; she will have a very long 'old age' ahead of her.
@ramapo17 (30441)
• Melbourne, Florida
4 Jun 18
That is really strange. I am going to be 76 and I go to the pool all the time. I grew up with a pool in my yard and we always had a house full of friends and relatives in it with us. My one uncle was almost 90 and he was still doing a running flip into the pool. Age is just a number but to many people use it as an excuse not to do things. My dad and another brother were in their late 80's and still jumping and diving in it.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
4 Jun 18
Swimming is great exercise for all ages. Sounds like you come from a very healthy family : )
1 person likes this
@ramapo17 (30441)
• Melbourne, Florida
5 Jun 18
@Fleura Yes I did and crazy people to. We never stopped laughing and enjoying ourselves. The family had a few ministers and all the women were very involved in the church. I went to Christian School when I started school. I finally went to public school when we moved to a new town.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
18 Apr 18
She acts like she is ancient.
2 people like this
@Ronrybs (19363)
• London, England
19 Apr 18
That's terrible, I am 61 and try to do as much pedalling as possible
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 18
I love my bike too, it gives me such a feeling of freedom! She is really missing out in my opinion!
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (19363)
• London, England
20 Apr 18
@Fleura Totally!
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130218)
• Israel
13 May 18
@Fleura 22 is far from old. Maybe she is afraid to do something on her own. I don't ride a bike anymore because last time I wanted to buy one I froze thinking of if I fell off. So, I have my mobility scooter instead. I am not 22. I am 67.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
13 May 18
I don't know, she just seems to have got completely the wrong idea somehow. Hopefully she will grow out of it again!
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130218)
• Israel
13 May 18
@Fleura You never know.
@tso1960 (225)
• United States
18 Apr 18
I feel sorry for this young lady, for thinking that she is too old to enjoy things in life. I just wonder what she will feel like doing when she is in her 40's. Enjoy life no matter how old you are it is just a number.
2 people like this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 18
I think she is missing out. She seems to think that fun is only for children.
@caopaopao (12395)
• China
18 Apr 18
Maybe she is just a person who doesn't like exercise.lol
1 person likes this
@caopaopao (12395)
• China
18 Apr 18
@Fleura When I read ‘I used to love going for rides all over the place with my Dad when I was young' I think maybe she means when she was a child. Because she rode along with her dad.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 18
Maybe, but she seemed to imply that she did like it not so long ago.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
20 Apr 18
Oh my goodness, what an attitude to have at that age. (That pool looks a gorgeous place).
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
20 Apr 18
Very odd isn't it? I love this pool, I can't wait for it to reopen after its refurbishment.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
1 May 18
What??? This woman is very sad or insane! I'd love to be 22 again. This is her time to enjoy life.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
1 May 18
I'm afraid she might not realise that until it's too late : (
@Shiva49 (26686)
• Singapore
30 Apr 18
Some feel much older than they really are while others are forever young. I rather live my age to feel comfortable in whatever I do - siva
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
30 Apr 18
That's so true. People do undoubtedly age at different rates but this person seemed quite extreme!
1 person likes this
@anikoonline (3250)
• Hungary
4 Jun 18
I think she thinks of her age in a very specific way. Later she will realize that she is not too old.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
4 Jun 18
Yes hopefully she will soon realise she isn't old at all!
1 person likes this
@Chazzygal (452)
• Botswana
19 Apr 18
i would definitely jump into that pool!
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30409)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 18
Me too - I'm looking forward to when it reopens!
1 person likes this
• Botswana
19 Apr 18
@Fleura please send pics..
1 person likes this