Fear & age?

[Pax]

Oh my. I'm going thru the same sort of thing right now. When I go out for a ride I worry about the cars on the road much more than I used to, or I worry that I'll be in a dumb solo crash. When Lee goes out for a ride I wonder if I'll get one of those dreaded phone calls. Even when we're out driving, I wonder what might happen. It's not really in the forefront of my mind, but it's definitely there.

I think a large part of it has to do with the fact that up until a couple of months ago our day-to-day existence revolved around my elderly FIL who was in & out & in & out of hospitals and nursing homes, so I was constantly reminded of what life could become.

I'm hoping that, now that my FIL has passed away and we no longer have to be prepped for when the next call comes, I'll get away from this mindset.

I'm 53 and in this same boat, not only did I have to have my fifth right knee surgery after slipping on the ice a couple of years ago, I also take care of my mom. Same as your FIL, she's very sick and watching her fail has been painfully enlightening, it makes me realize how hard aging and illness can impact a person.

It's caused my wife and to make some significant changes, we've sold our house and moved to an apartment to get away from stairs and our long icy driveway, and we no longer plan to retire in IL. We are searching for a place in the sun... it cracks us up when people tell us how hot the desert is (I've lived in the desert three times in my life), I reply "you never have to shovel or slip on heat".

[roo4]

Mid-40s here. I am more cautious about many things in life. I think the trigger was having a child. In answer to your specific questions, I think becoming more cautious is related to experience--seeing bad stuff happening to people we know. There may also be some hormonal changes--I'm thinking about risk taking behavior as a mating strategy, particularly for young males (note that I am totally making that up and have no scientific documentation to provide). What can we do about it? Well, you have to find balance. Don't sled on the same hills that you plunged down 20 years ago. Pick something tamer. Who cares? As long as you are having fun and staying safe, I don't think it matters if you slow down a bit.