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| September 9, 2012 |
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Ignoring
Clint Eastwood's advice in "Dirty Harry" that
opinions, like certain body parts, are best kept to
yourself.
 A
couple of weeks ago, my wife and I drove down to Minneapolis
to visit our daughter Sarah. Our youngest is attending law
school, and just moved into an apartment with two other law
students.
For some reason, I'd taken out my
wallet, noticed my AARP card, and mentioned that my wife and
I had eaten at Denny's restaurant the other day, and our
coffee was only a dollar with my AARP membership.
"Dad",
my daughter said, "you really like being old, don't
you?"
That statement really struck me, I
mumbled something about getting older was better than the
alternative. But, on the way home I got to thinking, and
being a "senior citizen" is a pretty good time in
one's life. My dad used to say that life begins when the
kids leave home and the dog dies, but since we still have a
couple of kids on the payroll, and more dogs than should be
legal, I'm still waiting for those events.
In
addition to a discount at the local liquor store, a break on
Amtrak and airline tickets, and cheaper movies on Friday
afternoon at the local theatre, most seniors enjoy lack of
house and car payments, and the time to take trips. A friend
once told that he regularly visited old friends at a nursing
home, and they always talked about the trips they took.
Motorhomes like mine, or nicer, go well with being a senior
citizen, my wife and I have logged about 20,000 miles in the
past two years, with trips to Florida in the winter, and we
even went to Newfoundland last year, a 5,000 mile round-trip
from Minnesota.
What would retired people do
without the internet and email? In the old days,
communication for friends and former workmates was limited
to the Christmas brag letter and vacation postcards. Not
anymore, hardly a day goes by that I don't get an email from
an old friend.
I've learned routine is important,
and television plays a big part in that. In the morning, I
get coffee going, and my wife turns on "The Today Show".
But when programming on that show gets into desperate areas
like cooking or reusing aluminum foil, I start griping, and
she changes the channel. At 9 am, "Perry Mason" is
on, and we hardly ever miss it. A friend of mine winters in
Florida, he checks the weather channel first thing every
morning, and then gets on the phone to call other retired
friends down there, "Hey Bill, it's -40° below
in International Falls, those poor sons-o-bitches ..."
After lunch comes one of the more important duties
of a retired person, the required "senior nap". My
wife has trouble sleeping, but not me, I can go unconcious
anytime and anyplace, and when I lie down, my cocker spaniel
"Nuggie" and pomeranian "Junior" will
jump on the bed, snuggle up to me, and we're all out like a
light for an hour or more.
Later in the afternoon,
it is television time again, with "Millionaire" at
4 pm, "Jeopardy" at 4:30, followed by the news,
and then at 6:30 is the show that is absolutely required of
all senior citizens: "Wheel of Fortune".
I've
taken to cooking dinner, giving my wife a break after 46
years, and usually have something good, although she
complains about too much spaghetti and meatballs. I've
expanded the menu to include steaks on the grill from the "road-kill
bin" at the local supermarket, roasts cooked in beer in
the slow cooker, and I've learned to keep up with dishes, so
the sink is generally empty.
Someday, I'm going to
make someone a fine wife.
Global
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Now you’ve done it. Now the whole
world knows your sedentary lifestyle. You’re going to
thunder into the hereafter early, but well rested. Steve -
West Virginia
I liked that editorial real good. Dave -
International Falls, MN
Loved the joy of being an old
guy-turns out that I resemble that! I must say that we are
really enjoying retirement and the freedom that comes with
it. We get to sleep in our same bed each night, but the
house moves (full time in the motorhome). Rick
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