OT, being old vrs being cool

One of the things that I have noticed as I've aged, is the withdrawal of the need to be "cool". I will be 62 in a couple of months, and I no longer care if I am "cool" or not. I really feel sorry for you younger guys, it seems that so many of you expend so much energy being "cool". Gotta wear the right clothes, your car has to fit into your parameters of "coolness". I love your necessity of having the proper attitude, too. I guess that time gives more perspective to that which is important. At 60 years, "cool" is at the bottom of the list. I'd rather have comfortable shoes. Now, comfortable shoes ARE "cool".

 

Great observation, ZZ. Cool to me is just waking up every morning. Every thing else is just gravy.

 

Hear, here!

I'll be 66 in a month - God willing. I'm with ya.

Charlie

 

I'm old (68) and "Cool". Just may be a different kind of cool. There's "cool" and then there's what us old geezers are "Really Cool" ...

 

Hmmm, old vs cool? I thought it was "cool" to get old. Remember this: "Youth and enthusiasm are no match for age and trechery."[unknown]. The previous generations usually establish "cool" in their way and pass it on.

 

when I was 16 my father knew nothing, when I was 21 I was suprised at how much my father had learnt.........

 

your still cool man , you have just takin it to another level! congrats on the 62

 

I used to be worried that my hair turning gray was not going to be cool. Then my barber advised me that those weren't gray hairs, they were blonde! That took a load off and I started having more fun.

 

Make this a "sticky".

 

Jeez, I wanted to say something cool, but.... I guess I'm just an old-ster, too. Me? I never was cool. Never will be. 60 going on 17.

Besides, I like "trick" stuff instead of cool stuff. Doing trick stuff means you were using your head about getting the job done - in the zone - or pushing the envelope as the jet jocks say. Regardless if you are a plumber, writer, painter or car nut. Nobody cares how you look while you do it if your stuff is more inovative than the next's guys, eh? If you do trick stuff, then the critics will think you are cool. Gary

 

Mine would tell me, "better to turn gray than turn loose",lucky for me I still have a pretty good stand of BLONDE???? hair.

 

Man, I'm only 60 and this rings so true...gotta love it....

 

Kool to me is opening my eyes in the morning and seeing daylight, not dirt.

 

Right on ZZ,I am 68 and agree but its good health and the toys that make life bearable.

 

I'll pass on both ,,I don't wanna get old or be cool

 

You are so right about the shoes. It was hell trying to be cool by wearing ridiculous shoes like Flag Bros. "Snap- Jacks"!

 

When you're over 60 and your kid or grandkid says "you're pretty cool" - that's pretty cool.

In high school, all the 'hep cats' (aka 'rinks' - likely derived from the James Dean character in GIANT) wore ducktail hairdos, had rattail combs in their back pocket, wore their pants "shackled" (must like today, but it would NOT have been cool to have your undies showing). A prerequisite was also apparently having taps on your heels, so you could make noise coming down the hall - sort of like a shod donkey.

There were the 'bookworms' (would be called nerds today), they wore their pants up to their armpits, buttoned their shirt collars and sleeves, and walked purposefully from class to class, generally carrying armloads of books. They were the ones that sat in physics and raised their hands to the ceiling saying "ooh ooh" when the teacher asked a general question.

There were the jocks. Their letter sweaters/jackets automatically inferred 'coolness'. You had to get decent grades to play sports, so most of the jocks were OK.

Some of the above individuals had cars. The rinks drove mostly buttdragging 'customs', the bookworms either rode bicycles or had a hand-me-down 4dr sedan.
The jocks drove whatever they wanted, but most had fairly nice cars.

Some of us were just about getting done with the business of school and focused mainly on hot rods (some customs, too). Most of us of the hotrod ilk got decent grades, otherwise you didn't get to drive your car (this is back when there were actually consequences for bad behavior).

There was plenty of spillover - some hotrodders actually pulled 3.5+, some rinks had nice cars, and some bookworms were semi-sociable outside their own sphere.

There were other slots in the strata of course, but by and large - most boys wanted to be thought of as 'cool' and in my preferred group (car dudes) our cars were our ID. They were necessary items (tools?) to establish your place in the hierarchy, it was difficult to attract a sufficient number of dates from the distaff side if you didn't have a car at all, and much eaiser if your car was 'cool'.

You will note that I have not dissected the gals and their level of perceived 'coolness'. That's because I never had a clue beyond what seemed to work for me. I never did figure out what girls worried about along those lines (am I cool enough or should I get a poodle skirt?).

I see that once again, I have exceeded my alloted time slot. I'm as old as pretty much anyone in here. I've never quit liking/owning/driving/fixing/modifying cars. I've not been blessed with any grandkids yet, but my boys have commented that I'm cool (as they lust after the toys, wishing I'd hurry up and get senile so they can divest me of these many treasures) and that's good enough at this age. Oh, my wife still gives me a compliment from time to time also - like "thanks for drying the dishes dear" and that's good enough for me, too.

dj

 

Why does one preclude the other?

 

Cool is all relative - I didn't own a pair of shorts or God forbid a pair of sandals until a couple of years ago! I've learned, now I'll take comfort over style any day.
I remember going to the bar in the eighties and wearing a pair of sneakers - everyone had boots on and thought I looked weird. A year later half the guys were wearing sneakers also!
Sixty is coming at me quick - comfort has moved way up - Billy Crystal's character Fernando's catch phrase "It's better to look good, than to feel good" is no longer relevant!!

 

Was talking to a friend about his 50th !! high school reuion the other day, (I'm only 60). He said he looked around and told his wife; " look at this, my friends sent their Grandparents to this thing!).
Also last year I was at a very cool cruise night in Westchester and 5-6 guys were INSIDE Pauls talking about their health, aches and pains, meds. I said "I need younger friends".

 

Just have to say ,

I FEEL YA !

But in words only.......

AS in I understand.....

 

I just did the 64 one and I really don't feel any older than 50. Better health really. My personal hero was 80 when he passsed and was building cars till the end. My goal is to do the same. Now if I can just make the retirement step! Joe

 

I'm mid 60's and my grandson of 6 calls his Papaw "kool beans". Now, guys, THAT's kool. Getting older though is like a fine wine aging, it gets flat and nasty.

 

thank you!!! thats exactly what i was trying to say.trick stuff is unique, cool stuff is usually the same as someone elses. i'm 36,haven't really cared about being cool for years. lets see, been married for the last nine years, have a good marriage, don't do drugs,don't drink,or smoke, take care of my wife. I guess to a lot of younger people today that would be considered "cool",as far as the right clothes and stuff, every pair of jeans i own has grease or oil stains on them, i really could care less. my wife is 15 years older then me, so i have step kids, one of them keeps popping out grandkids one after the other, so to them "paw paw" is cool, I guess thats the most important one to be looked at that way. they have a hard life too.

 

Speakin' of white hair. Ironic that all those pilots that are involved in incidences where things go relatively well, US Air in the Hudson, pilot: Sully Sullenberger. United Airline crash in Iowa, pilot: Al Haynes. TWA hijacking Algeria, pilot: John Testrake. In each of these cases the pilot was an old white haired dude and each of them were as cool as a friggin' cucumber during a time when it counted to be so. There is "cool" and then there is really friggin' cool. These guys were really friggin' cool!!

 

I'll give ya an AMEN, there.

 

I'm "only" 48, but I hang out with a couple of guys in their mid 60's that are cool as hell. Both have been buildings cars since the angel hair days and one has a Wally sitting next to his TV. These guys have waaaay more character than any smart ass kid with a bottle of Fukken wax and Absorber towel in his hand.

 

Most of the older guys ARE very cool. It's just not important to them anymore, and THAT'S cool.

 

My Dad always said, "Don't follow the crowd. Fads come and go". I took his advise my entire life. Funny, my wife's boss was looking to buy a new corvette. His kids told him only old people drive corvettes. Also, where I work, theres a couple of gals that work the counter. They're in their 30's and attractive. We get the long white haired old dudes that come in, wearing their hair in a ponytail. When those guys leave, the girls make fun of them. They think it looks ridiculous, especially with ear rings.

Anyhoo, now its short hair, loose clothes and comfortable shoes..........

 

I am 38 and you fellers made me feel....YOUNG for a change
What's cool? Chuck Taylor high tops, a pair of Levi's and a growing bald patch.
Wp