There have been many surprises in my life. Good surprises, and a few bad
surprises. The kind of surprises that sweep you off of your feet, and
the kind that leave you reeling from the shock. But the biggest surprise
of my life came just a few weeks ago, and it came innocently contained
in an envelope.
Just home from work and flipping through the mail,
the envelope’s return address jumped out at me. AARP. I dropped it on
the table in horror, stared at it a few minutes, and briefly wondered if
maybe it wasn’t meant for some other Jane DiBella out there, one who is
much older than me.
As I continued through the rest of the mail, the
red AARP envelope kept drawing me back, begging me to open it. And so I
did. And just like a musical greeting card, the minute I ripped open the
envelope, it screamed out, “You’re old”!
Old?
Me? Until that moment, I had been innocently going about the daily
business of my life, working, taking care of my family, and all under a
false umbrella of time. Sure, I knew that my birthday was looming on the
horizon, and yet I had been telling myself that 50 was only a number.
But here was this letter, this beacon of doom,
happily urging me to “register now so that I can begin enjoying AARP
services without further delay.” Yippee!
Reading on, I found that “As a member, you’ll have
resources and information you need to get the most out of life after
fifty,” and I wondered if you could get discounts on plastic surgery.
In reading the partial list of 22 AARP membership
benefits, I found that as a member I would be eligible to save thousands
of dollars on travel, receive the AARP magazine and health guides,
obtain reasonably priced long-term care insurance and pharmacy services
with convenient delivery to my mailbox. I can also save on many products
and sign up for the AARP safe driving course.
And I was comforted to know that AARP is
representing my interests by confronting age discrimination by
employers, and working to strengthen Social Security. Whew! I can sleep
easier at night now.
Where did the time go? Just a few short years ago,
I was buying Sam Happy Meals at McDonalds, and now I am eligible for the
senior discount.
How did I get from a child to a teenager to a bride
to a wife and mother to being eligible for AARP in such a short time?
The mirror tells me differently, but I don’t feel any older inside. I
watch my children grow older, and yet I don’t age. And sometimes, I
still ask myself what I want to be when I grow up!
With resignation, that envelope made me realize
that I have been lying to myself. That while time has gone by, it really
has taken me with it. Yes, I am 50 now. A half a century. A long time.
On the fast track beyond midddle age. I am old. There, I said it.
And so I reluctantly accepted this fact and decided
that I will embrace this new phase. And I resolve that even though much
of my life is behind me, there is still much to do and experience. And I
vow to grow old gracefully, if I am given that chance.
But as for AARP membership? The letter found its
way into the recycling bin. I am not quite ready to join. Not just yet.
