I joined MyLot when I was in my fifties. It was a cross between a forum and a social network which paid for posting in those days. There were members of all ages from around the world, but few of my age or older. I remember one of my 'friends' there, a young man from India, posted his astonishment at discovering that there 'are old people here - I can't believe it, one of them is 52'. I think in his country at that time the Internet was something only the young were beginning to know about and he had no idea that an 'old' person could actually use a computer. I can understand why people in their 50s like this forum, because here we can share experiences and memories of things most people in other forums have not experienced and they can't imagine what things were like in a pre-digital age.
Everything they take for granted was built upon a framework set up by people who are fifty or older now. When I first started using a computer, in the early to mid-1980s, you had to learn to program unless you didn't want to do anything but play the few games that were available commercially, or use your computer as a word processor, because there wasn't anything in the way of commercial software. My first computer came with a Smart Basic compiler. Not knowing that this was supposed to be something complicated, I created a full-service reporting and billing program for the ambulance company I was working for, a database for our church, and several EMT and paramedic tutorials. We used that billing program for years, and I still think it was better than the commercial one they replaced it with later. The EMS run report information could be entered into the computer and, from that, the program would store the information, transmitting the part that the state required for its records, and print out a patient bill, and then generate a second and third notice if the bills weren't paid within a set time. Today, people build websites from a WordPress framework, but we built them from a text editor. For that matter, I ran a computer BBS, which was the precursor to the Internet, for ten years before public access to the Internet was available. As for the pre-digital age though, I can remember: When we had a crank telephone. Our number was short-short-long. Several people were on what was known as a party line. When the phone rang two short rings and one long one, it was for us. You made a call by cranking the phone and having the operator (who worked out of her house and was known by her first name) connect you. When we had a crank car, one that had rumble seats in the back. I believe that it also had a starter but, when it wouldn't start with the starter, there was also a crank in the front. It looked pretty scary whenever dad had to crank start it. The first television in the neighborhood. In fact, I was in high school before we could get more than one channel.
I'm 52 and, as I said earlier, I certainly don't think of myself as a senior. I certainly wasn't looking for a senior forum when I stumbled onto this one, and was hesitant to join it. But I'm happy I did because I'm finding some of the discussions here really interesting - so much better than the trivial things I read on some forums frequented by younger people.
I certainly don't see myself as a senior and I don't mind being called one either. This has to do with how we perceive ourselves and if other people choose to call me old or a senior they may go ahead and do just that. It doesn't bother me in the slightest because I know how I feel. I don't feel old and I still have an active lifestyle and healthy relationships with younger people. Being around younger people is what helped me to feel young.
I am quite happy to be called Senior the shortened version of the earlier Senior Citizens, it doesn't even infer old age to me, while the previous title in the UK was Old Age Pensioner OAP, which I felt sounded particularly ancient We still use the title Pensioner at times, but have pretty much adopted the US word Senior now for everything from railcards to restaurant menus.
I think being and being called a senior has it's privileges. I have never had a problem with aging or being with people of my own age group for the majority of the time. I find that people who have lived as long as I have are enjoyable because we can talk about the same things, reminisce about the same concerts, political events and struggles. I also enjoy being with my age group because I find that we share the same work ethic. I'm not comfortable with my younger co-workers because I have witnessed a lack of ethics by the majority of them. There are days when I'm quite the Me-Me but it's not a lifestyle choice for me or most in the senior category.
I don't mind the "senior" tag. In fact, I kind of enjoy it. At the stores I shop, the clerks and stockers are polite and helpful, and people will hold open doors usually. Young gals call me hon or sweetie. Some help me cross busy streets by walking beside me. Yep, it ain't bad at all.
In my mind I'm still young and I think young too, it's just the aches and pains, especially my back that sometimes make me realize I'm not a young chick anymore! It doesn't bother me to be called senior at all. The only time I use a senior discount is the movies though or if they have a big sign advertising senior discount...other times I forget.
I remember the days when I had a Young Person's Railcard. Now, I have a railcard for over fifties which means I have to be a member of something called Club Fifty. I refer to it as my Old Codger's Railcard.
I'm far from being called a senior because I'm only 53 and senior here is 60 and above. Besides, I am regularly dyeing my hair black, hahahaaah. But in fairness to the seniors here, they are granted discounts on food and medicine and there are places where they are given priority in the queue like in bus terminals and even in airports. But I agree that seniors are those in their 80s and not the fiftyish.
Take care of your knee! You know now days after some time I bump into a table that's been there since the beginning of time, stubbing my toe! It hurts so much when you stub your toe , but what hurt more is banging into somewhere that's been there for quite a while! When I hit 50 I bought my favorite cake which is Dobash cake and ate almost the whole cake. When I hit 60 I was excited to almost be ready for social security. I really don't mind being a Senior Citizen that gets me discounts, seats in the front of the bus and an understanding look from everyone.