Happy Birthday to me!

Turning 65 is one of those events in your life that can make you very depressed or very confused.  Depressed because a good portion of our culture sees 65 years old as OLD!  You qualify for Medicare, you are eligible for all senior citizen discounts (although you can join AARP at 50 and get senior discounts), you are considered to be helpless, on the road to dementia and not capable of doing anything you could do 5 or 10 years ago.  Confusion because you don't feel old, you don't see yourself as old and you still try to do everything you did 5 or 10 years ago including new adventures if you are retired.

Last week, I joined the ranks of the confused 65 year olds.  I do not feel this age.  I feel like I am in my 50s with all the energy and enthusiasm that goes with it.  Yes, my hair is grayer these days and my children are now in their 20s and 30s and when I look in a mirror, I look so much like my mom it is scary.  But for the most part, I do not consider myself 65 years old.  To me, this is not old age.  My dad lived to be 71 and my mom lived to be 85.  With the medical achievements today and what's coming in the future, I suspect I can live to be 100.  This means I am only halfway thru my life. 

Now I could just sit and wait for my time on this earth to end but what is the point of that?  I still have too much to do and too much to share to give up now.  So this year, I told my sons the great piece of advice my mom gave me when she turned 65.  I told them, "If people ask, you will tell them you are 24 and 30 years old which means I am 50 years old.  Next year, I will let you know if we are changing that."

I may be 65 years old but since I don't feel that age why should anyone else know the truth.