Wednesday, April 28, 2021

On Being A Senior: Aging Is Like Marinating, You Just Keep Getting More Delicious

For those of you who are seniors, you'll most likely identify with some of the things I am about to share in this post. For those of you who are not a senior at the moment, you may find this interesting. 

Annoyances Of Being A Senior-

I think it's funny how right after you turn 65, your name, address, and personal information goes into a huge box with everyone else who just turned 65, at which time you get bombarded with a shitload of mail (both email and snail mail) that constantly reminds you that you're getting old, so you better prepare for old-age and all the tragic things that come with it, such as: declining health, additional health insurance, life insurance, dying, and funeral arrangements so that your family and friends aren't left with the awful burden of not knowing whether to bury you or cremate you, and whether to sprinkle your ashes under the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, or along the Amalfi Coast in Italy, while they toast you with glasses of limoncello. 

It's as if all these insurance and healthcare companies are perched on their fences like a bunch of mouth-watering vultures, anxiously waiting for people to become seniors, so that they can (1) - put the fear of aging deep into your psyche. And (2) - meet their quota and receive a commission on what they can offer you to make the aging process less horrendous. 

Because let's be honest, aging is a big business. And fear sells. 

The brochures they send you always say something along the lines of, "We know how difficult aging can be, so we're here to help you in your time of need. Just reach out to us, and we'll be there to take you by the hand and walk you through it." 

At only 65, they speak to you as though you're merely two minutes away from taking your last breath.

Fortunately, I don't scare easily, so I don't buy into all their old-age fear mongering. I'm now at a point where the second I open my mailbox and see an envelope that reads - Open Immediately! Time Sensitive Material Enclosed - I toss it right in the garbage. 

Last October, when I was choosing a supplemental insurance policy to go with my Medicare insurance, I received mail from various insurance companies literally THREE to FOUR times a week, along with solicitation calls on my landline phone. Thank God I don't give out my cell phone number when it comes to any kind of business related stuff, or I know I'd be getting calls, voicemails, and texts, on my smartphone as well. Even now, I still get crap in the mail. 

So yes, that part of being a senior can be annoying as all hell.

Perks Of Being A Senior-

Along with the annoyances, there are some really cool perks to being a senior.

Like, Senior Discounts. 

Yabba dabba doo!

Many of the stores here in Philadelphia offer discounts to seniors on specific days of the week. The discounts average between 10-15%.

Philadelphia also offers a "Senior Fare Card", that allows anyone 65 and over to use public transportation (buses, subways, trollies, and the regional railway) for FREE. In fact, I just got my card last month and took advantage of the railway last weekend and traveled out to Chestnut Hill for the day. I enjoyed a great afternoon of walking around the Farmer's Market and treating myself to lunch. Normally, I would have paid $15.00 for a round trip ticket to Chestnut Hill. 

Also, I recently discovered that Amtrak offers a 15% senior discount on most Amtrak trains. So, I just might start taking Amtrak to New York instead of using Megabus because the price of Megabus has gotten ridiculously expensive since COVID. Besides, I've become very disenchanted with the service on Megabus over the past three years (dirty buses, no WiFi, and frequent late arrivals and departures). The last time I took Megabus the bus got a flat tire on I-95, so we had to pull over to the side of road and wait (40 mins) for another bus to take us back to Philly. And they never offered any kind of apology or reimbursement for the inconvenience. 

So, do you know what I have to say to Megabus after being a loyal customer for the past 12 years?

*middle finger gesture* 

In Conclusion-

Yes, we are all going to age and become seniors, that's a fact.

However, I will age in my own way; not the way I'm instructed to age.

So if you're a senior, or becoming a senior anytime soon, remember...

Don't allow this world to fear you into aging by giving you preconceived ideas about how it's going to be. Be realistic, but don't buy into the fear. 

Take full advantage of senior discounts because you deserve them.

But most of all remember this... 

 "Aging Is Like Marinating, You Just Keep Getting More Delicious."

Bon appétit!

Have a fantastical rest of your week, y'all!

💗