ages 56 to 60
Diana, 56.08
What is the best age? Now (56)
When do people become old? When they decide they are old and act old (when they make that choice)
What makes you sad? Tragedies in life and the world. People who don't relish life and let it pass them by
What makes you happy? Simple things, people, being with people you care about, sunshine, climbing mountains, traveling, nature
What is the best place in the world? The place you choose to be
What do you worry about? Happiness and health for my family and friends
What do you love? Accomplishing something you never thought was possible (a challenge)
What is next for you? Climbing Kilimanjaro- which is also a metaphor to keep going for challenges and exploring and staying curious
What is life about? Connection
Amy, 57.08
What is the best age? My 30s, lots of life life ahead without worrying about any choices
When do people become old? In their late 40s when the vision you have for yourself is capped
What makes you sad? Pain or loss related to animals
What makes you happy? Animals
What is the best place in the world? Where I grew up in Manhattan
What do you worry about? Pretty much everything
What do you love? Animals and seeing people going for what they strive to do whether they reach it or not
What is next for you? Finishing a video for a project that takes at risk youth and teaches them to do stand up comedy
What is life about? Learning
Amja, 57.08
What is the best age? 32-35
When do people become old? Maybe after 70
What makes you sad? When my father died it really affected me. He was very affectionate
What makes you happy? My family
What is the best place in the world? Canada
What do you worry about? Children's education
What do you love? Prayer
What is next for you? We'd like to have our own home
What is life about? Helping others
Kaushika, 57.50
What is the best age? Between 40 and 50
When do people become old? When they retire from work, because their lifestyle changes completely
What makes you sad? When something isn't right for my family
What makes you happy? Everything
What is the best place in the world? My home
What do you worry about? Anything and everything
What do you love? My whole family (either side, my husbands or my own)
What is next for you? To see my children settle down and get on with their life. And ensure they're happy and aim for what they want to aim for
What is life about? Who you are, what you are. How you see things, how you intercept things. What you feel you want, what your aims are.
Robin, 57.50
What is the best age? Your current age
When do people become old? When they decide to
What makes you sad? Inequities
What makes you happy? Grace
What is the best place in the world? Wherever one is
What do you worry about? My kids
What do you love? So many things. I can't enumerate them.
What is next for you? Growth
What is life about? Living fully in the moment
Linda, 57.92
What is the best age? Younger. As I get older I keep thinking of the expression "aging is not for sissies". I have a friend in Chicago who says "Codgerdom has its virtues" and I can see it from both sides
When do people become old? There isn't one age. I guess it's when you feel that younger people have advantages
What makes you sad? Think how I have no family, everyone has passed away
What makes you happy? Having a busy schedule, being active and being around people
What is the best place in the world? Home
What do you worry about? Not having enough money, not being able to drive. I already can't because of epilepsy
What do you love? Cooking, sewing, I'm not sure what else
What is next for you? I really don't have the foggiest [idea]
What is life about? Not being dead
Suja, 58.75
What is the best age? 23
When do people become old? When they cease to have work/duty
What makes you sad? When people around me are sad
What makes you happy? When everybody is happy
What is the best place in the world? Home
What do you worry about? Finance[s], Children
What do you love? Children
What is next for you? Marriage of my children
What is life about? Searching for infinity
Paul, 58.80
What is the best age? I can say several but the best, it's hard. I can't answer that but I do remember around 31 thinking "this is a good age"
When do people become old?Can't answer that one. It's a shifting target. Depends on your definition at the time. When you feel old.
What makes you sad? Death, that's probably it
What makes you happy? Family, jazz, good food
What is the best place in the world? I'll just pick a place, Cannon Beach [Oregon]
What do you worry about? World peace seriously (or lack of it), children's careers
What do you love? Family, both local and extended, my job
What is next for you? I would say continuing the work/life balance struggle
What is life about? I don't know
Alan, 58.83
What is the best age? Mid 30s
When do people become old? When they believe they're old
What makes you sad? Politics
What makes you happy? Helping People
What is the best place in the world? Wherever I am
What do you worry about? My Kids
What do you love? Diversity
What is next for you? A veterans village [for homeless vets]
What is life about? Involvement and Improvement
Ibrahim, 59.60
What is the best age? 25 to 35
When do people become old? It varies from person to person, in India some become old at 40. But I would consider someone old past 70.
What makes you sad? To be frank, anyone close to me being sad makes me sad
What makes you happy? Earlier, before I was 50 I was a different person. But now I don't want to see anyone sad, whether they are related to me or not, even my enemies.
What is the best place in the world? I have limited exposure but I'd say in my perception Germany is the best place
What do you worry about? My children's welfare
What do you love? My children, of course my wife
What is next for you? I must get both my sons married, that is the utmost concern. That is next.
What is life about? A fantastic thing to explore, but sadly it is not the same with everyone. Though I have loved what I was, I am satisfied with what I am.
Louise, 60.00
What is the best age? The age you're at
When do people become old? When they think they're old
What makes you sad? Seeing people suffer
What makes you happy? Being surrounded by friends and family
What is the best place in the world? That's a really tricky one, wherever your loved ones are
What do you worry about? I worry about how the Parkinson's will affect [my husband] and thus the two of us, as the years go on.
What do you love? Good food
What is next for you? Always pushing myself to achieve
What is life about? Being kind to people
Hairunisa, 60.50
What is the best age? 12-13, when we were able to be free and without worry
When do people become old? 60, I can't do what I used to, both mind and body
What makes you sad? There's nothing
What makes you happy? When all the kids are at home
What is the best place in the world? Home, our home
What do you worry about? My husband not being healthy, mainly family
What do you love? Husband and Children
What is next for you? Just want to live without giving anyone trouble
What is life about? I don't know what to say, If people receive they say it's good, if they don't they say it's bad
Karen, 60.75
What is the best age? Hard to answer because each of the various stages has highlights. I'm not unhappy being 60 and retired. If I had to pick, I'd say the age you start your family- for me it was 30.
When do people become old? Not a chronological thing, it’s a mental thing. I keep waiting to feel like I'm getting older. At age 60 I'll say 80.
What makes you sad? When people are having difficult times. Including my mother's state of affairs. Physical, sicknesses, emotional problems or whatever reasons. If they aren't happy because they don’t achieve what they want.
What makes you happy? When people I love are doing well, especially my immediate family, my kids, husband and myself. We're able to enjoy our circumstances and having enough to be comfortable and do some of the things you want in life.
What is the best place in the world? Home
What do you worry about? People, those close to me sometimes money. Not really my own health or my family's (we're all healthy at the moment). Not that I don't worry about other people and the country and the world.
What do you love? My family and my life, where we live and the friends we have.
What is next for you? More of the same. I've reached a stage where I want to do more of what we've been doing and hoping we stay healthy. Smooth sailing for a while.
What is life about? Family, trying to achieve enough so you are healthy, happy and comfortable. More about people and personal happiness than it is about career
Craig, 60.92
What is the best age? 25
When do people become old? Well that's changed over the years, 88
What makes you sad? If people were to treat me poorly
What makes you happy? Being with friends
What is the best place in the world? Kelly Creek, ID
What do you worry about? Money
What do you love? Family
What is next for you? Retirement
What is life about? Having fun, family, friends
Angie, 60.92
What is the best age? For me probably 48
When do people become old? 85
What makes you sad? Somebody hurting my kids or my family
What makes you happy? Hawaii
What is the best place in the world? Hawaii, North Shore [Oahu] to be specific
What do you worry about? I'm a worrier, I worry about my family
What do you love? My family, my husband my kids, money
What is next for you? Retirement
What is life about? Doing the right thing, being honest and true to yourself. And hopefully happiness comes in at the same time