A Banner Year?

This year will be a banner year for me. I’m sure it’s one I will remember for the rest of my life. You see, I turn 65 about mid-year.

In looking back, I really looked forward to being a teenager at 13. Then I could hardly wait until 15 when I could get my driver’s license. That is much too young to start driving.

The next big birthday was 21. Finally I became a full grown person totally responsible for all my actions. That was the year I got married and went to war. There have been other birthdays that were important for one reason or another, but 40is one everybody sort of dreads.

For some reason, after 40 most guys have to prove to themselves that they really aren’t over the hill. Between 40 and 50, I was probably in peak physical condition. I did weights three times a week and aerobics three times a week on alternate days before going to work. I took Sunday’s off.

When I turned 40, I was still in the Reserves. I taught at the local community college at night, was a personnel manager during the day, was elected to the Legislature, and was working on my MBA degree at night. Obviously, I wasn’t “over the hill”.

Fifty came and went without fanfare. It was just another birthday. At 55, I had developed heart problems that scared the hell out of me. My dad died at 55 years of age from cancer. When the doctor did the heart cath on me, he asked me how many heart attacks I had experienced. I told him, “none”. He said oh yes I had because he could see the scar tissue. Surprise, surprise.

The heart thing knocked me to my knees for a couple of years and, for the first time in my life, I felt vulnerable. About the time I turned 60, I was feeling pretty good and the doctor said he didn’t think I would die of heart disease. Now I go to the doctor once a year, take my medications, and do most anything I want to do.

Somehow it seems that turning 65 is a major milestone. That used to be retirement age...they put you out to pasture and told you to enjoy it. At 65 you get to go onto Medicare and can draw social security if you wish. I’ve learned that retirement plans are all over the board. With the military you must start drawing at age 60 or you will loose anything you didn’t draw from that time until you do start. I’m eligible for another retirement at 65 and still need to find out if I have to take it.

Hopefully, I will work at least another five years before seriously considering retirement.

In the meantime, I’m searching out all the senior citizen discounts available. And boy are they there...Burger King, Belks, Marriot, etc, etc. The big thing right now is for my health to hold. I’ve learned that if you are in good health, everything else is a relatively minor bump in the road. Funny, but I never thought about that when I was younger.

Peace y’all.