Will you still need me? Will you still feed me?

Four months before my twelfth birthday back in the 1960s, the iconic musical group The Beatles released a very catchy song titled: "When I'm Sixty-Four." The lyrics are the musings of someone who is wondering if his sweetheart will still love him when he is old, and how he hopes they can grow old together.

It is a light-hearted, upbeat song, and fun to sing. And in the innocent mind of a soon-to-be twelve-year-old, it was a goal that seemed so very far away. Yet today, I am now that "sixty-four" age that is mentioned in the song and wondering how-the-heck time has flown as rapidly as it has.

^{artwork by: Irym on DeviantArt.com}

I never really "felt" my age until my husband died, and then spent several difficult years caring for my elderly parents. All that really took a toll on me, And now, more often than not, I really feel my age — especially when I have to scramble for the granny-glasses to read the much-too-small ^{_{tiny-sized fine print}} on the back of a bottle, when my penmanship isn't so beautiful as it once was because of the arthritis in my thumbs, when I have to sit and rest my aching back after what was once a simple chore around the house.

Of course, the sixties can be a scary decade, too, because of the more serious health issues seem to emerge for some people. I have already outlived my husband, as he died a few months shy of his sixty-fourth birthday. A very dear friend of mine passed from a heart attack at sixty-one. I know many other people who have also exited this world during their sixties and wonder if I will even make it until I am seventy. I have issues of my own, and have not been able to afford healthcare since I was in my late-40s (as is the case with many in this country), but I am hanging on, for now. So, we shall see, and I think I will be at peace with whatever happens.

Since growing older has daily challenges, I would now like to offer a few tips for those who are older, which I use frequently:

• If you have a smartphone, use the camera as a magnifying glass. When print is too-small-to-read and granny-glasses aren't enough, point the smartphone camera at the item and use the "pinch-and-zoom" technique to digitally-zoom into the thing! I have been able to read the small print on bottles, coins, and all sorts of things that way.
• Keep a pair of needle-nose pliers handy in the kitchen or bathroom. Then, when you have trouble removing the seal on a bottle, jar, or can — such as a brand-new bottle of vitamins, or a can of coffee — the pliers can provide what you need, whether it is gripping-force on a small tab, or leverage on a larger tab.
• Consider wearing a man's watch, even if you are a woman. Watches made for men are bigger, and therefore easier to read when eyesight begins to fail. Big, oversized watches are rather fashionable nowadays, anyway, but I will continue to do it even after they go out-of-style, as for me, function is more important than looks.
• Fonts can be made larger in most web-browsers by holding CTRL and pressing the plus-sign + repeatedly. You can make them smaller again with CTRL and the minus-sign - or go back to the default-size quickly with CTRL and the zero key.
• Most versions of Windows have a "magnifier" tool which I use so frequently that I have pinned it to my taskbar! It's been so long since I've used Windows-7 that I don't remember if it is under "Accessories" or what, but it is there, somewhere. To find the magnifier tool on Windows-8 or Windows-10, look under "Windows > Ease of Access" in apps and LEFT-click to run it immediately. You can "pin" it to the taskbar as I did by RIGHT-clicking on the magnifier in the listing of apps, then hover-over 'More' and then 'Pin to taskbar." This is a tool I use almost every day.
  

I have no big plans for my birthday, will just be hanging around the house, as usual, and probably spend too-much-time on the computer. I did buy myself a small (5–6"/13–15cm) diameter LEMON CREME CAKE from a local grocery store. I did receive two birthday cards: one from an aunt, and one from a friend who included some coins to add to my collection (thank you, @brittandjosie). And I am writing this post. And that is probably all the 'celebration' there will be. At my age, birthdays aren't such a big deal as the were when I was younger, so it is fine. 🙂

Another "gift" I received was that my main computer, which has been totally dead the past couple of days, finally sprang back to life a couple hours ago. I've been having quite the problems with it the past two or three weeks and can finally return to diagnosing what is wrong with it. Many thanks to @jamerussell and @wesphilbin for offering suggestions and reading material to help me through the process of bringing it back to life!

mmmm... Lemon Creme Cake! I chose this one as I had not had it for several years, and it was small, not a huge cake packed with calories that my waistline does not need! Although a Carrot Cake would have been lovely, or an Italian Creme Cake, or a Red Velvet Cake, or... 😋

Without further ado, here is a link to the song referenced, at the beginning of this post. It will be a trip down Memory Lane for those who know it, and I hope it will be a treat for the rest of you, too! Lyrics are beneath the video for those who wish to follow along!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCTunqv1Xt4

"When I'm Sixty-Four"

When I get older losing my hair Many years from now Will you still be sending me a Valentine Birthday greetings bottle of wine

If I'd been out till quarter to three Would you lock the door Will you still need me, will you still feed me When I'm sixty-four

You'll be older too And if you say the word I could stay with you

I could be handy, mending a fuse When your lights have gone You can knit a sweater by the fireside Sunday mornings go for a ride Doing the garden, digging the weeds Who could ask for more

Will you still need me, will you still feed me When I'm sixty-four

Every summer we can rent a cottage In the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear We shall scrimp and save Grandchildren on your knee Vera, Chuck and Dave

Send me a postcard, drop me a line Stating point of view Indicate precisely what you mean to say Yours sincerely, wasting away

Give me your answer, fill in a form Mine for evermore Will you still need me, will you still feed me When I'm sixty-four

Songwriters: JOHN LENNON,PAUL MCCARTNEY © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC