Does Age Really Matter?

If one prefers to define people by labels then I guess my label is "a senior". I turn 62 next month but, for me, the numbers that are piling up are irrelevant. I don't think that much about age or give much weight to it. Turning "40", "50" nor "60" was not a problem for me. I wasn't traumatized. I didn't mourn my youth. I just moved on. I'm not sure why I don't think about age much. But I don't.

I have a friend on Facebook who recently criticized me for my posts about age. She feels that all I ever post are cartoons, quotations and observations about aging. Maybe 5% of the things I post are age-related, but it's obvious that what I did post hit a nerve with her. She is kicking and screaming into old age and is not happy about it. As Dr. Phil would say, "and how's that working out for you?"

Life is pretty terrific, even with all it's problems and low points. The older I get the more I also realize that it progresses way too fast. Honestly, it does seem like just a couple of years ago I was thirty. But, if life teaches us anything, it's that you can't stop progress. Life happens. Some people accept it and some don't.

I admit that aging has not all been a bed of roses. My bones ache, I seldom sleep all the way through the night, I tire more easily and I have a lower tolerance for loud music, just to name a few irritations. But, in some ways, I also embrace those things. I have enjoyed every phase of my life and I am enjoying my "sunset" years as well. And why not?

By this time in life you either have done the things you want to or you never will. I pretty much have. The things I'll never get to are not as important as trying to find new ways to challenge myself and enjoy the life I have now. I may have more physical limitations. My memory may not be as acute as it was at 30. My eating habits may have changed to accommodate a slightly more sensitive digestive system and I may no longer ride roller coasters. But there are many great things about my age.

I love being retired. I can walk my dogs at any time. I have no schedule and no major obligations. I can spend my time reading, writing, helping others, hiking, bike riding, sitting at Starbucks or taking in a movie. I get "senior" discounts in a myriad of businesses! I can indulge my favorite pastime: travel. I have trips booked every month in 2013 and that will allow me to see and experience new things. (You're never too old to learn new things or meet new people). I also have a beautiful and wonderful seven month old granddaughter. Need I say more? It's all good in my mind. It may be a time of life that has a few boundaries, but the possibilities end only when you want them to.