Hitting 55...(Not The Speed Limit)

Hitting 55...(Not The Speed Limit)

Many thoughts cross one's mind as they get older. Did I accomplish anything during the previous 54? What am I going to do now? And so on.

For the most part, after hitting 40, I pretty much ignored my age.

For me, hitting 55 tomorrow only opens up some opportunities. For instance, some businesses have senior menus starting at age 55. Denny's Restaurants is one of them. Fuddrucker's is another. At Fantastic Sam's, it is said that seniors can get a haircut on a senior discount at 55. Others require that one is 60 before they get a discount. (About a week ago, I was surprised when Richard Pusateri told me he turned 60 last October. Luckily for him, he looks younger than that.) So there are some benefits that do come with encroaching geezerhood.

Other thoughts cross one's mind. One is, "I'm too young for Medicare, but too old for women to care." Another is, "Growing old isn't so bad when you consider the alternative!" Another favorite, "I can still do the things I did at age 21. Which only goes to show how decrepit I was at 21!" You just gotta laugh, as there's no use in crying about it. It makes me laugh when people in their 20s and 30s moan and groan about getting old. I'd gladly swap ages with them!

Fortunately, I am in good health with no (known) ailments. Many in my age bracket have bad backs, hips, legs, knees, etc. Some have lost their hair completely (mine was too thick in my younger days, so I was a little glad it thinned out a bit). Some have gone completely gray (or white) hair. But I suppose gray hair is better than no hair. Mine is about 50/50 dark brown and gray. I am still able to hoof it around without any difficulty, which comes in handy when I do roam around Japan.

About a week ago, I decided to see if I could get into a movie theater on a senior discount (their senior discount starts at 60). So I walked up to the boxoffice window (I made my voice sound more gravelly) and asked for and got a senior ticket with no questions asked. (I don't know if I should be insulted about that or not.)

Still, as I've known so many people who never reached 55, I should consider myself blessed. Actually, I do.

I guess this year's birthday wish is to go to Denny's and get something from their senior menu. But the Denny's I'd like to go to now is in the picture at top. It is in Asakusa, Tokyo. You can see their sign in the background (click on the photo for a better look).

Hopefully, by year's end, I'll get there. It's all downhill from here.