something new you learned recently! Share it here!

Great idea Laura!

I recently learned that my life contains experiences that have common ground with many or maybe all of the diagnoses we encounter in people and ourselves. It is almost like there is no normal unnormal switch. We are composed of the same basic building blocks in our minds. What makes a difference whether we are dominated by one or the other has to do with many factors we encounter during life and how we react to them.

This means to me there is not a clearly defined line between mental illness and balanced living. To me there is an overlap that becomes more acceptable the more I learn to accept that quality inside myself.

America's elderly population is now growing at a moderate pace. But not too far into the future, the growth will become rapid. So rapid, in fact, that by the middle of the next century, it might be completely inaccurate to think of ourselves as a Nation of the young: there could be more persons who are elderly (65 or over) than young (14 or younger)!

The elderly population has grown substantially in this century ....

During the 20th century, the number of persons in the United States under age 65 has tripled. At the same time, the number aged 65 or over has jumped by a factor of 11! Consequently, the elderly, who comprised only 1 in every 25 Americans (3.1 million) in 1900, made up 1 in 8 (33.2 million) in 1994. Declining fertility and mortality rates also have led to a sharp rise in the median age of our Nation's population -- from 20 years old in 1860 to 34 in 1994.

.... especially for the oldest old.

The "oldest old" -- those aged 85 and over -- are the most rapidly growing elderly age group. Between 1960 and 1994, their numbers rose 274 percent. In contrast, the elderly population in general rose 100 percent and the entire U.S. population grew only 45 percent. The oldest old numbered 3 million in 1994, making them 10 percent of the elderly and just over 1 percent of the total population. Thanks to the arrival of the survivors of the baby boom generation, it is expected the oldest old will number 19 million in 2050. That would make them 24 percent of elderly Americans and 5 percent of all Americans.

We're living longer.

Back when the United States was founded, life expectancy at birth stood at only about 35 years. It reached 47 years in 1900, jumped to 68 years in 1950, and steadily rose to 76 years in 1991. In 1991, life expectancy was higher for women (79 years) than for men (72 years).

Once we reach age 65, we can expect to live 17 more years. During the 1980's, post-65 life expectancy improved for all race/sex groups. The biggest improvement (a rise of over 1 year) belonged to White men.

The 15 Most Common Health Concerns for Seniors

https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/most-common-health-concerns-seniors/

Social and Emotional Aging

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3950961/

Not so much fun talking about aging but support can go a long way

We are growing in numbers but we can also grow in our power to influence and have a word.

I've learnt recently that even the people closest to you cannot be trusted! Sad but true!

@Laura

I learned to forgive myself.

All my life I wanted to be perfect and fit the "perfect" role of others, specially the ones my family wanted me to have. But that made me be so.. cruel and cold to myself. Well not anymore!

I forgive myself and am moving forward to find my own happiness. Might be messy, might be different than everybody else but is my own happiness.

With this said I want to thank every single person on 7cups that helped me. I talked to such supportive and caring people that makes me tear up. Never had such unconditional love and support.

7cups is a fantastic community and I love it so much. Hopefully I can help everybody else like they help me.

I love figs, just recently learned that wasps actualy get in the fig to eat but instead the fig dissolves the bugs into it and some dont get completley dissolved so your eating insects... i will never eat a fig again. @Laura

6 Surprising Facts About Retirement

It could last longer than you may think. ...

Social Security falls short. ...

Americans are way behind on savings. ...

Only half of us have a retirement plan. ...

Many of us are staying in the workforce. ...

Medicare won't cover assisted living.