A few weeks ago, Kathy Gibbons wrote a humorous column about senior discounts and how she is not looking forward to qualifying for them. In short, she is still on the senior cusp and has not officially entered the world of old fogies.
Well, I have and it's not so bad.
As we travel down life's pathway, we stumble over many milestones. Some of the first are when we experience those first few steps or learn how to say "Mama" or "Dada."
This is only the beginning. The list is endless, but each seems extremely important at the time.
Graduating from diapers ranks right up there near the top of the list. Remember your very first day of kindergarten? I can remember that experience like it was yesterday.
There's the first girlfriend or boyfriend and the first dance, which our parents drove us to. Who could forget our first hayride in the fall? We really felt mature when we landed our first job.
Getting a driver's license ranks right up there with turning 21. Could we ever forget our first car and how we polished it until the paint started to wear thin?
Being able to vote and going away to college was almost as good as getting our first apartment and "being on our own." It was, at least until we ran short of funds and had to hit Dad up for a loan.
Push the fast-forward button of our lives and we speed through first loves, marriage, children, careers, illness and losses of loved ones. It's amazing how 60-some years go by so quickly. By the time we enter our sixth decade, we are somewhat "seasoned." If there is a doubt, just take a look in the mirror.
At times, it seems like we already have experienced almost everything that life can throw at us. One begins to think that it's about time that people and businesses began to cut us a little slack.
It's time to begin reaping some bonuses for just making it this far. It's time to begin collecting SENIOR DISCOUNTS!
I started to look forward to becoming a senior when I turned 50. Not that I was wishing my life away, but I wanted to become a card-carrying member of AARP. After sending in my check, I was accepted into this exclusive group in my 51st year.
The ink wasn't dry on my membership card when I whipped it out at a Bob Evans for my first senior discount. My wife, who is a couple years my junior, acted like she didn't know me.
Since then, I have enjoyed discount benefits that co-exist with a receding hairline and an expanding waistline.
Old age has a few benefits. We can travel across this great land of ours getting 10 percent off all of our motel bills -- and free breakfasts are included. There's senior coffee and free refills. Armed with our Golden Passport, we can breeze though every National Park across the land for free.
Now, if we seasoned citizens could only get a senior discount on our gasoline purchases, we could afford to take a few more trips.
Ed Hungness and his wife owned their cottage on Fife Lake for six years before moving there after his retirement in 2005. His writing draws from life experiences and a love for the outdoors and northern Michigan. He can be reached at edhungness@yahoo.com or care of the Record-Eagle.
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