Anyway - the phone call last night was from my brother. He is very good at checking in with me every couple of weeks or so. I don't know why I don't think to phone him... but that's ok. He can take the responsibility for phoning - I don't have to do everything.
Mostly our calls are "catch up" calls.. his news / my news. Around this time of the year he tends to call to ask what he can get for his nephews (my grandchildren). He loves buying toys - said last night that Christmas really is about buying toys and he loves it! So I dragged up some ideas (hope they work) and our conversation then went off on different tangents....... what his kids are up to.... how his new job is going... his wife's new position at the University.
My news wasn't quite so interesting........ good cancer check - working hard at the gym - weight I've lost - plans for the holidays.
Eventually talk came around to birthdays.......... he is 10 years younger than I am and loves to tease me about the difference. Last night was no different. He said he was having some difficulty dealing with 55 this birthday. (which is at Christmas time) and teased me about being 65. Asked about pensions ......... and I started telling him how I am finding 65. I said there are definitely some perks........ like my meds are now "free" - well free once I pay the deductible - which will probably take me a year to do as my meds are so cheap. BUT still I get a few dollars off each time I fill them. Stores are now offering me 10 - 15% off on certain days 'cause I am a "senior citizen". So for the most part I have adjusted the days I shop - why not get the discount - I guess I have earned it!
I told him it felt really weird. My documents all say "senior" but my mind says "20 something".... I hear from different friends and my brother how their elderly parents are slowing down - not doing so well. And I am surprised a bit that when I turned 65 that something major didn't happen... like suddenly getting old.. Just waking up on my birthday and being old. OH when I look in the mirror I do see an older woman looking back at me and most days I wonder who she is. But for the most part I am enjoying myself. I don't dwell on being old... it's not important ...... it honestly is JUST a number.
And that's one more thing I have come to realize. So often with "him" there was discussion about being old and how awful it was. Often times he would "tease" me about being old - definitely older than him calling me a "cougar" (despite the fact it was only a year older) ... He seemed to mope about being old.. complain about it... he even insisted on buying a house that didn't have stairs because we were getting older and stairs would be a problem. At the time I thought he had a point - but now ?? now I think that's how people get old before their time... worrying about what will come. Hell my grandmother was 91 when she gave up her house and even with arthritis she didn't slow down.. I think you can worry yourself into becoming old before your time - you can make yourself old ............ I have no intention of doing that!!
Since I have been on my own I am learning to love this life that I have - despite my age - or maybe because of it. There are no alarm clocks to wake me - no job that expects me to show up - I can do whatever I want to when I want to
AND the best part
I get paid for it. ok ok it's not as much as when I was working - but it's enough for my needs which are simple.
I am a very thankful 65 year old........ I have an adorable lil apartment - my days stretch in front of me filled with possibilities ......... and joy. And that is a very good thing!!
So my phone chat with my brother ended with me telling him getting older - becoming a senior citizen can be a good thing...... it all depends on your attitude.
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