Different generations enjoy different things, but have you ever seen something an old person loves and thought to yourself, why? A recent internet survey asked, “What is something that old people love that you don’t understand?” Here are the top 20 answers.
Gossip
“My dad is a baby boomer, and he literally walks around the neighborhood daily to find out new information from the neighbors so he can tell my mom.”
“I don’t tell my mom anything anymore unless I’m comfortable with everyone she knows hearing about it. Kind of limits us to idle chit-chat.”
Telling You Who Died
“I’m a window cleaner and have a lot of elderly customers. Over the years, I’ve found they love to be the first one to tell me one of the neighbors has died. To the point where if I say ‘yeah, Thelma already let me know,’ they look genuinely disappointed.”
“My Aunt is OBSESSED with this. She gets almost giddy. Every time I see her, it’s like, ‘Oh, my neighbor Susan’s Uncle’s dentist died. Isn’t that sad?’ Umm…I guess?”
Their Gardens
“I’ve reached the tipping point. I love my hedge, and some drunk kid fell in it. Big hole. It will take four years to grow back. This ‘get off my lawn’ moment awakened the old in me.”
“I don’t like dogs or kids in my plants, so I planted two small little cactuses, and a few years on, they’re the only thing in the garden.”
People Watching
“In my country (Brazil), old people sit in front of their houses and do absolutely nothing for hours, just watching people and cars go by.”
“I live in a very rural part of America, and old people do the same thing here. Old men will sit in front of their houses, drinking beer and waving at cars that go by. It seems really nice, actually.”
Stereotypical Old People Music
“There is this weird type of traditional Vietnamese music my parents said that only old people like, and they could not stand it either. A decade later, and apparently, they enjoy it. I await my turn in fear.”
“Once I reached my 50s, Bruce Springsteen’s library suddenly became enjoyable. I’d always liked bits of his work here and there, but once I got old enough, bam, I got it.”
Watching the News
“My wife’s grandmother was in long-term memory care for several years before her death. Towards the end, she didn’t know what day it was, or if it was morning or evening, but she watched CNN 24 hours a day.”
“My dad watches the news all the time, and I can’t stand it because all it does is make him mad.”
Telling Everyone About Their Ailments
“A friend of mine calls it the ‘organ recital,’ and we are starting to do this at dinner parties. The plus side is we’re still having dinner parties, so there’s that.”
“I’m in my 70’s. When new aches or pains pop up every month or two, you’re not going to immediately run to the doctor every single time. So you’ll want to share this information to gauge how serious it is.”
Casino Slot Machines
“All the casino ads make it look like you’ll be gambling in Monaco with a bouncy, joyful group of young people – then you go in, and it’s endless rows of blank-faced olds jamming on those buttons.”
“My sisters took my mom to Las Vegas for her 70th birthday. She played slots until 3 a.m. She was so not like that, typically.”
Complaining on the Nextdoor App
“I wish that was just old people. That site makes me second-guess how great my neighborhood is. Like, do I want those people as neighbors?”
“I lurk on Nextdoor just because some of the things that get put on there are the most ridiculous things I’ve ever read.”
“Adding your own name to a comment like ‘great photos, love Mum and John.” I know it’s you, Maureen. It shows me your name when you comment.”
“My mom LOVES to wish people Happy birthdays on her Facebook page page…..without tagging them.”
Fine China and Silverware
“It’s pretty in the way anything made in bulk can be; it’s expensive, has very little resale value, is fragile, and is virtually useless unless you’re trying to impress another old person.”
“I use my grandmother’s fine china as everyday plates. Even put them in the dishwasher. It freaks my mother out, but they are PLATES. They are serving their purpose in life.”
Soap Operas
“My mom has been watching the same soap operas every day since she was a teenager. She is 76.”
“Nowadays, The Young and the Restless is watched exclusively by people who are neither young nor restless.”
Recliner Chairs
“Just sitting down in my recliner is glorious. Younger people may think I’m nuts, but I have so much stuff going on, it’s nice to just sit down and relax.”
“There’s something about those recliner chairs that’s just unmatched in comfort.”
Talking About the Weather
“My dad, in his late 70s, keeps up with my weather 200 miles away from where he lives. He’ll call if we’re supposed to have a bad storm. I’m 40.”
“I was driving my grandparents home from dinner. The sun was setting right into everyone’s eyes, and that was the only thing they talked about. It was like they had never seen the sun before.”
Being Naked in Gym Locker Rooms
“At aquafit, all of the different sizes, shapes, and ages of bodies just let it all hang out, mostly because we are all too sore or fragile to do any sort of flamingo leg acrobatics to get changed.”
“My mom’s side of the family STILL laughs about my father doing this in front of me and my friend when we were in middle school, and I’m 38 now.”
Admiring the Scenery
“Now that I’m old, I just like to travel to places to look at the scenery. 20-year-old me would not understand the point of that at all.”
“I used to get so mad at my dad for taking the scenic route home rather than the quickest. Now, I’m the one saying we’ll take the back roads through the hills because it’s a nicer drive.”
Giving Directions Despite the Fact We All Use GPS Now
“They’ll give you landmarks that haven’t been there in 20 years. Turn left at the building that the Kmart used to be at, then turn right where the old Roy Roger’s restaurant used to be.”
“There’s 20 ways to get some places, and suddenly I have opinions on the best instead of just shutting up and following Waze.”
Saying Hello to Babies
“My husband’s grandma will lunge towards a baby like a hyena trying to steal from a lion. She then starts getting in the baby’s face while dancing like an idiot.”
“Many old people have taken my wife’s pregnancy as an invitation to touch her, which I find extremely inappropriate.”
Precious Moments Figurines
“Yeah, give it 50 years, and everyone will be complaining about Grandpa’s Funko Pop collection.”
“My great aunt had two cabinets of the angel ones! When she died we didn’t know where to put them. The second-hand shops were already full of them too.”
Hard Candies
“I swear you only gain the ability to acquire them when you hit 65. I’ve never ever seen them for sale anywhere.”
“My mam loves them because some of the medication she takes gives her cotton mouth.” CF
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