I am Now Officially a Senior Citizen - Granite Grok

I am Now Officially a Senior Citizen

Birthday Cake markus-spiske-aAil4k3_BA8-unsplash

Yep, today is the day that I am eligible, after decades of paying for it, for Medicaid (I took early Social Security when my job was off-shored).

I was born in the middle of the Boomer Generation (1946-1964). In many ways, like many, time has flown by – how did I get this old so fast! Oh sure, the hair color went from black to salt and pepper (and now mostly salt). When I wake up in the morning, joints I never knew I had crack louder than my alarm clock. I do have a couple of prescriptions I take but I’ve been taking them for decades so no big deal there.

I guess one of my wishes, to be like Robert Heinlein’s Lazarus Long, never came true and never will. That’s ok, I am who I am. Nor has Life turned out the way I had “Planned” – I now have the wisdom to know it rarely does. But I did make the right decision in marrying TMEW 40 plus years ago – a steadying and ever-present force these past decades.

Yet, like many, my mind doesn’t “feel old” – just a few more data points connected to each other in the grey matter than ever before (and yes, with some that get unconnected as well). I’d like to think I’m a better person than I’ve been in the past thought I do realize that I suffer fools a lot less than in my earlier years – but I do laugh more often. I’ve also become much more critical of the “popular” Culture (as if you couldn’t tell) and despair of all of the people in Government that refuse to Follow The Law. The nice thing, though, is that I have more time to push back on those kinds of folks.

And if you couldn’t tell, doing it with glee!  While I do get angry at those that believe they can do what they want, I always smile because I know what’s coming to them that they don’t. Happy Warrior!

But, today will be just another day like most others. It was worse when I turned 22 as a Resident Assistant at BU when the freshmen guys all came into the dorm with their disco garb – and I was still at the tail end of the hippie era (early mid-life crisis). It was even worse when I watched the Eldest, at the end of the driveway, getting on the school bus the first time for kindergarten and even worse watching him pull out of the driveway with his US Marine recruiting Sgt after graduating High School (and then when the Youngest went with his Army Sgt). All of those made it clear I was getting old and older.

At least with the Grandson getting on the bus for the first time back in September, it didn’t feel quite so bad – this 5 year old mini-person had earlier told me that I was just plain old (and then hugged me).

After all, with so many birthdays in the rear view mirror, I’m just glad to be upright and not approaching room temperature (much to the dismay of many of GraniteGrok critics). Even with all of the difficulties we’ve endured and overcome, it’s been a good ride.

Good Day to you all!

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