by Brenda S Brown

Created on: May 26, 2010

Becoming one of those so-called mature individuals is not about watching the lines in your face becoming craters or tolerating the pesky aches and pains that are your constant companions; it is actually about accepting the fact that you are no longer in the running for wittiest in the class or most likely to succeed in the yearbook. 

The unpleasant truth about becoming an older adult is apparent when you apologize to an associate and realize that they do not know why you are saying you are sorry; the reality of that moment is someone is entering the state of absentmindedness. 

Some say that getting older has advantages like various free services at the bank, no charge for coffee, and being offered a good seat on public transportation, but in order to take advantage of those freebies, you first have to admit to your real age, and that is sometimes difficult.  Boomers are credited for creating the act of lying about one’s true age. 

Sometimes being forgetful is advantageous but when you polish your toenails and afterwards put on socks, it takes on a new meaning when you look at your feet a few hours later and wonder what those little white spots are embedded in your toe nails.  These days, having your heart skip a beat does not mean there is a new love interest in your life, it means another trip to the doctor’s office and probably more medication. 

You know you are getting old when the color of the socks you wear with your sandals no longer matters, you adore the performances on PBS and believe that a metal detector is a wise investment.  Your definition of an afternoon delight is an undisturbed nap, your favorite television show is broadcast on the Weather Channel, and you wonder while eating your favorite food, if it will make your tummy ache. 

Learning that senior citizens are the fastest growing population is not a comfort, according to research on the internet, by 2050, the aged population will outnumber the fourteen and under generation, for the first time in history.  But here is the good news for our children and grandchildren; us Baby-Boomers are expected to live longer than any previous generation of Americans. 

Perhaps sixty truly is the new fifty; and I have at least one more statement to make about this poignant subject, but I cannot remember what it is right this minute.  Is this a senior moment?

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