So, I’m sitting there watching the tube with my husband, Charlie, reading the latest AARP Magazine when I think, when did this happen? When did I go from joking about this magazine to actually reading it? Not just leafing through, not scanning it, but enjoying it? I mean, finding the articles interesting and helpful. Sharing the occasional tidbit with Charlie. And me and the Women Who Run With the Moose love the “Movies for Grownups” section.
The celebrities on the cover used to be old looking, you know? Now I see the latest issue and say things like, “Hey, Kathy Lee’s not looking half bad!” In fact, this month I got more excited about the article called “Your Big Health Questions Answered” than the one about budget getaways. That kind of worries me.
Or how about the other day when I couldn’t remember if I was going to be 61 or 62 on my next birthday, and I had to friggin’ look it up in my calendar! Has this ever happened to you? It’s, well, disconcerting to say the least.
I think Charlie and me are just in another phase. You know, one where you get together with friends and instead of talking about what you used to talk about (which honestly, I can’t quite remember what that was), you discuss retirement, grandchildren, and if we’re lucky to still have them, our elderly parents. Where half of us have had some kind of cancer, a heart issue or a body part replaced. What the heck?
Yet, how lucky we are to live in such a time? When my grandparents were our age, they looked really old. And that’s not just because I was a little kid. Even today, when I look back at pictures of them, they look elderly. I guess they lived a harder life, so we could have it easy.
And yes, I do have to consider how I’m going to lift the laundry basket. How I’m going stand up when I squat down to pet Scamp. But when I’m out walking the little guy, keeping up a good pace, I’m sometimes overwhelmed with gratitude for my healthy body and my comfortable life. And you know, that article in the AARP about bringing your wills up to date is a good reminder that Charlie and me need to get on that. Thank you very much. And now and then there’s some nice tips on gardening and which kind of salmon you should buy. All good stuff.
Ten years ago, I just tossed the AARP magazine as soon as it arrived. Another piece of junk mail. Who are these old fogies on the cover, anyway? Not us!
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
Hear Ida Tell It: The AARP Magazine
Summer Preview
June 2: Ida Comic Relief and MC for National Cancer Survivor Day, Living Well Center, 2:00pm, York, ME
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