It has occurred to me I do not like being called a senior. I didn't like being called a kid much either. It first struck me while I was in a restaurant looking at a menu and I realized that I could order from the senior menu. I like the thought of eating out cheaper, I just don't like to think about being senior. When I think of senior citizens I see them as people that are 80 or 90, not 50. Sometimes people tell me how old they are and I just can't believe it because they do not look anywhere near their age. I have had people tell me they are surprise when I tell them how old I am. Never asked if that was good or bad, i just decided I would accept I look younger. How do you feel about the term senior? Are you liking it or does it secretly make you cringe inside?
It's funny, I don't mind being called a "senior" but I hate being called "ma'am"! I'm not sure why, I guess senior to me is an objective word that relates to how old we ARE, whereas ma'am is more subjective and seems to relate to how old someone THINKS we are. I know it's a sign of respect, like using sir, but somehow "sir" seems to respect someone for being experienced or knowledgeable, whereas "ma'am" is just about age??!! Oh well, it's funny how certain words can really trigger different emotions and feelings in different people.
Some of us can refer to ourselves as baby boomers, rather than seniors, I suppose. Sometimes, pain or the inability to do one thing or another reminds me that I'm a senior, but otherwise I don't generally think of myself as old. Most people don't think that I look 63 (that is a current photo that I'm using as an avatar, by the way), so that helps. Once at a restaurant, the waitress offered to give my wife a senior discount, not me, although I am six years older than she is. As you might expect, I was the only one who saw any humor in that.
I don't think of myself as a senior and was surprised to discovered that the age minimum for this forum was only 50. So much so that I wasn't even sure that I wanted to join. I haven't noticed that there are any senior benefits available for me where I live - those are reserved for my Mom! As for the word "ma'am", I hate it with a passion. I don't like people to be called by a title of any sort so I'm not too fond of men being called "sir" either. We have first names for a reason and that's what I want people to call me.
The word senior has out lived it's meaning. In the past the life spane of a person was not much more than 65 if they even made it to that age. Now we live longer and are healther. I do not like being called a senior citizen, I am 70 yrs old, work and walk 6 miles 3 times a week. My 45 year old daughter can not keep up with me. Look at this video and enjoy. I plan to be this active when I get her age.
Thanks for sharing that @Pat Baker . She's fantastic. I wish I could dance like that. For that matter I wish my posture and figure were as good as hers too. I'm impressed with all the walking you do. I need to start working on my fitness, but I don't feel safe walking in the streets around here. However I have an exercise bike which I hardly ever use. It's high time I got going on that at least, though walking with a friend would be a lot more fun.
I don't think of myself as a senior. I was floored when I got a membership letter from AARP. I have been getting direct mail about Medicare supplement plans too. I am a long way off from being eligible for Medicare. I am looking forward to being able to qualify for senior housing in a couple of years. They are some great senior apartments and the rent is a lot cheaper than regular apartments.
I guess I'm not that fussy with being called senior. Its all the limitations in movement and eye sight that is already reminding me that I am a senior. Although having the title of being a senior sure doesn't hurt to get those cheaper rates for services.
When I was in my fifties; I certainly did NOT think of myself as being a senior ! I remember being seriously ticked off the first time some place asked if I qualified for a "senior discount: . (Now, I love senior discounts, and I always ask if a place has a discount because some of them have the discounts; but they don't tell you that unless you ask about it. ) My current avatar picture was when I was 57 (it was the first picture that I sent to Bobby when we were online dating), and you can see, I was still wearing my cowboy hat and certainly not thinking of mysellf as a senior. Truthfully, I was amazed at how many of the people on this forum are only in their early fifties, and were already looking for senior forums to join. I was well over 65 before I discovered my first senior forum, and I just kind of stumbled onto that one. Now, I really enjoy forums. I am not as active as i was when I was younger, and being inside and online is a much bigger thing to me now than it was 10-15 years ago. Then I was busy outside riding my horses, fishing, walking with the dogs every night, and even learning about how to train my llama to pull a cart.
It is amazing to me how many people accept being told they are old and should not be doing this or that. In the past I walked 6 miles a day at least 5 days a week, I walked into a road guard rail hurting my knee. I have not been able to walk the 6 miles 5 days a week but I can still complete the walk 3 days a week without re-injurying my knee. This is my first senior forum, I am enjoying the conversations here. It is time to have some fun.
When I was in my fifties; I certainly did NOT think of myself as being a senior ! I remember being seriously ticked off the first time some place asked if I qualified for a "senior discount: . (Now, I love senior discounts, and I always ask if a place has a discount because some of them have the discounts; but they don't tell you that unless you ask about it. ) My current avatar picture was when I was 57 (it was the first picture that I sent to Bobby when we were online dating), and you can see, I was still wearing my cowboy hat and certainly not thinking of mysellf as a senior. Truthfully, I was amazed at how many of the people on this forum are only in their fifties, and were already looking for senior forums to join. I was well over 65 before I discovered my first senior forum, and I just kind of stumbled onto that one. Now, I really enjoy forums. I am not as active as i was when I was younger, and being inside and online is a much bigger thing to me now than it was 10-15 years ago. Then I was busy outside riding my horses, fishing, walking with the dogs every night, and even learning about how to train my llama to pull a cart.
I am still enjoying all of the things that I am capable of doing, even if there are things that I can't do anymore. I still intend to enjoy whatever things that I am ablle to do, for as long as I can. I found a three-wheeled bicycle at the pawn shop, put it on layaway, and have been making payments on it, and just brought it home this week. It has been really cold and rainy here this week, too, so I have not even tried it out yet; but I know that every day brings us a little bit closer to spring, and one of these days I will be out riding it around. The bike ha a little basket on the back, so I am going to put Chipper's little doggie bed in the back and he can ride along with me in the basket. I think that he will enjoy doing that, and going for the trip down the street and back.
I had a cat once, Baby Girl (Cutie and Lydia's mom) who loved sitting on my shoulder while I pedaled around the neighborhood on a bicycle. Even when I fell once, she was ready to get back on and go some more. Her daughters aren't so adventurous.