[ajo]

I have been coming across the term Silver Fox of late to describe women over 45 who have gone grey and don't dye their hair and I was wondering what the term was for males in this boat, besides distinguished that is. Then this weekend the Canberra Times ran an article which they took from the Independent
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-...n-the-rise-of-the-silver-swingers-878567.html
but to make matters worse to be a GOM you have to be over 55 so where does that leave me? Still slightly bewildered.

But the article is worth a read and it does raise some interesting questions about the process of aging and social behaviour. I wonder has Grumpy Old Men aired on US TV yet.

Still if I am not a GOM or a Silver Fox what is my social appellation? Where do I fit in sociologically speaking as a Grey haired 50 year old.:icon_smile_big:

 

[eagle2250]

"Groovy Old Men," certainly a more complimentary descriptor than some. As a "GOM over 55", I can proudly proclaim that I still do everything I remember doing at 25. It just takes a little longer, leaves me feeling a bit more fatigued and takes just a while longer to get over it than it used to. ...and Oh yea, the wife says my "memory may be starting to fail me...just a bit!" Good article...thanks for referencing it, I think.

 

[Zingari]

Agree a great article- my ethos exactly and something to look forward to.

 

[Rossini]

Should the time come that people start to label you as "Groovy" it is time to reconsider things very seriously indeed!

By the way, "Silver fox" has long been a term associated with men rather than women though I know it is now used for both. And, it's kinder than the cougar label.

 

[Cruiser]

As Toby Keith sings in his song:

"I ain't as good as I once was
But I'm as good once as I ever was"

And as for the term "silver fox", I too have always heard this in reference to men, not women. In fact, it is the nickname of David Pearson, a man some consider to be the greatest stock car driver to ever live.

Cruiser

 

[Bog]

"Groovy Old Men," certainly a more complimentary descriptor than some. As a "GOM over 55", I can proudly proclaim that I still do everything I remember doing at 25

That is very sad. You shouldn't be doing the same thing at 55 as you were at doing at 25.

 

[Relayer]

I played golf when I was 25. Am I to give it up when I turn 55?

 

[Quay]

That is very sad. You shouldn't be doing the same thing at 55 as you were at doing at 25.

If at 25 one had a good life I don't see the necessity of switching that life just because the earth has revolved around the sun thirty times.

Now of course if one was a complete twerp at 25 with no redeeming qualities then of course it's hoped that by 55 one will have learned something and improved.

Cordially,
A.Q.

 

[Title III Guy]

If at 25 one had a good life I don't see the necessity of switching that life just because the earth has revolved around the sun thirty times.

Now of course if one was a complete twerp at 25 with no redeeming qualities then of course it's hoped that by 55 one will have learned something and improved.

Cordially,
A.Q.

Thanks, A.Q. I haven't seen "twerp" used in some time and enjoyed seeing it again. Having been 50 times around the sun myself, twerp takes me back many revolutions ago!

T3G

 

[Cruiser]

That is very sad. You shouldn't be doing the same thing at 55 as you were at doing at 25.

No, what is sad is that anyone would put such limitations and restrictions on themself simply because of their age. My passion used to be softball (I played my last baseball game at age 23 and then took up softball) and obviously at the age of 59 I can no longer pursue that; however, I see no valid reason to change other things in my life that I don't have to change, unless of course I want to do so.

I believe in letting how I feel dictate what I do, not what the calendar says. Here's me, on the right, at age 58 at a biker charity event. Heck, I'll bet I feel as young as the former NFL All-Pro football player standing in the middle. :icon_smile_big:

https://img387.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scan00029vp8.gif

Cruiser

 

[ajo]

So Silver Fox can be applied to men, here in the antipodes the term only has currency for women. So a Sliver Fox I am then for at 50 I am too young to be a GOM.

The other thing is that the article doesn't address is that distinction between old and maturity. I know that eventually my body will give out but the concept of becoming Old, well that is open to debate I think.

PS It occurred to me while out running tonight that in truth a woman should be a Silver Vixen!

 

[eagle2250]

No, what is sad is that anyone would put such limitations and restrictions on themself simply because of their age. My passion used to be softball (I played my last baseball game at age 23 and then took up softball) and obviously at the age of 59 I can no longer pursue that; however, I see no valid reason to change other things in my life that I don't have to change, unless of course I want to do so.

I believe in letting how I feel dictate what I do, not what the calendar says. Here's me, on the right, at age 58 at a biker charity event. Heck, I'll bet I feel as young as the former NFL All-Pro football player standing in the middle. :icon_smile_big:

https://img387.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scan00029vp8.gif

Cruiser

Cruiser: You look to me as if you could still get out there and play a game of softball. It was just a few weekends ago that I did just that, with some old friends (note; the operative word is old!). It wasn't pretty, nor graceful but, there were some pretty funny moments. We had a good time but, while I can't speak for any of the others, I certainly "paid the Piper" over the following several days!

 

[burnedandfrozen]

Has anyone else noticed that there seems to be a shift in hair coloring among the Baby Boomers? It seems that while more women are embracing their gray hear, many more men are coloring it and very badly I might add. I would never tell a stranger his color job is atrocious but I have an uncle who otherwise is well dressed and educated but for the last couple years, someone looks like they've been pouring lemon juice on his head. I'd really like to tell him to get it professionally done, but just cannot bring myself to.

I've also noticed more and more men wearing those T-shirts that have "old guys rule" printed on them and usually a picture of a guy at the BBQ or something like that. It's quaint but we all know they wouldn't be wearing them if the shirts had a collar.

Hmmm....men with a bad dye jobs wearing an "old guys rule" T-Shirts. Nope, no role models there at least for me as I'm two years away from the big 40 and need to start thinking about aging gracefully.

 

[LoneWolf]

Has anyone else noticed that there seems to be a shift in hair coloring among the Baby Boomers? It seems that while more women are embracing their gray hear, many more men are coloring it and very badly I might add......

Nope, no role models there at least for me as I'm two years away from the big 40 and need to start thinking about aging gracefully.

Agreed. I've had increasingly grey temples and sideburns for the last several years, and when I grew a vacation beard recently I was mildly shocked at how much white there was. That said, I'm as vain as the next guy but I wouldn't consider dying my hair (although if I ever lost a significant amount of it I'd buzz it down for a while and ultimately shave it off).

As to the OP, the only Silver Fox I've ever heard of was Charlie Rich, and while there are worse things to be called than a Groovy Old Man, there are a great many better.

 

[Cruiser]

Has anyone else noticed that there seems to be a shift in hair coloring among the Baby Boomers? It seems that while more women are embracing their gray hear, many more men are coloring it and very badly I might add.

I can honestly say that I haven't noticed this. In my case my hair, what I have left, and my beard are grey, and I couldn't care less. Many of my friends are grey also and they seemingly don't care either. I guess I hang with a different crowd.

Cruiser

 

[Laxplayer]

Groovy Old Men? I think of DukeGrad. Cheers, Jimmy!

 

[Rossini]

obviously at the age of 59 I can no longer pursue that

Now that's simply not true.

It was just a few weekends ago that I did just that, with some old friends (note; the operative word is old!). It wasn't pretty, nor graceful but, there were some pretty funny moments. We had a good time but, while I can't speak for any of the others, I certainly "paid the Piper" over the following several days!

The trouble is if you don't keep it up you will get those aches and pains. It all depends on how much you keep putting into it. I might add it's rather dangerous to go to sudden jolts of activity after periods of sloth. But if you keep a level going, you should be able to keep going as long as your joints and health will allow.

 

[Cruiser]

Now that's simply not true.

The trouble is if you don't keep it up you will get those aches and pains. It all depends on how much you keep putting into it.

I agree; therefore, let's just say that I can't do it at the level that I once did. I played until my late 30's and the last few years I played on a really, really good team. There were several former college baseball players, a couple of former professional baseball players, and even a St. Louis Cardinal (shows you how long ago it was) football player.

After playing at this level for a few years I didn't find it fun to play at the level I was getting to at that age. Not only that but I was starting to get hurt on a regular basis. After an extremely painful base path collision with another professional football player I decided enough was enough.

That's when I took up golf. :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser

 

[Laxplayer]

There is a guy on my summer lacrosse league who is 56. He has played lacrosse every year since middle school. He played D1 in college, and is still just an amazing player. He plays middie too, so he runs up and down the entire field. I love playing, but I don't know that I can keep it up for another 26 years. It just amazes me that he can play such a rough sport for so long, and still keep up with the 20-somethings. Whenever someone says they are tired or sore he says, "You p*****s, I've been playing long before you were born, and can still whoop your ass." LOL what a cool guy. :icon_smile_big:

There's guys in their 40s and 50s in my ice hockey league too, but it is a "no checking" league, meaning light checks are tolerated, banging guys into the boards is not. Summer lacrosse is full contact.

 

[vwguy]

And as for the term "silver fox", I too have always heard this in reference to men, not women. In fact, it is the nickname of David Pearson, a man some consider to be the greatest stock car driver to ever live.

Cruiser

Same here. I remember growing up and hearing the term used for a few guys around town.

Brian