Adults only: Seniors of every age

I read with interest and can recommend the insert in last week’s Reporter, Northforker 50+.

It’s loaded with senior-sensitive ads as well as stories of seniors reinventing themselves after age 50. There’s also advice on dating, diet and exercise.

The resource guide is invaluable. Hold on to the magazine for future reference. If you did not take the time to look at it and can’t find it, stop by the Reporter office and pick up a copy.

The title did make me think about the definition of senior citizen. I always thought that it referred to those who received Social Security and were members of Medicare.

However, such is not the case.

More and more people consider themselves seniors after 50. So we have young seniors, middle-age seniors and elderly seniors. I guess that I am a member of the middle group.

These distinctions were made crystal clear to me this past weekend while I was visiting my 93-year-old mother who lives by herself. My sister lives nearby but had to be out of town for a few days. So I decided to spend some time with Mom. I definitely felt young with an older senior.

She had all kinds of chores for me to do around the house as well as errands to run at a number of stores. There are many activities that I can participate in and she can’t because of age. So I feel young.

I wonder if I would feel elderly with some younger seniors or would we all get along?

And as far as reinventing myself, I thoroughly enjoy my life of retired leisure here on the Island. I believe that our elected officials here are, for the most part, very sensitive to seniors’ needs.

As were visionaries like FDR and LBJ who gave seniors Social Security and Medicare respectively. It’s worth noting that many of the individuals who criticized Lyndon Johnson during the Vietnam War are now reaping the benefits of the Great Society.

I also would like to call your attention to the current issue of AARP magazine. There is an interview with Bob Dylan who is in his 70s and still singing. He lionizes Frank Sinatra and says about aging: “You get older. Passion is a young man’s game. Young people can be passionate. Older people gotta be more wise.”