Senior: A Significant Insignificant Title

To ignite my creative juices the word senior would not have a chance. The term senior is just not a word, idea or term in my vocabulary. I associate senior with elderly, sedentary, disabled signs on autos, walkers and nursing homes.
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To ignite my creative juices the word senior would not have a chance. The term senior is just not a word, idea or term in my vocabulary. I associate senior with elderly, sedentary, disabled signs on autos, walkers and nursing homes. Seniors that are active and very much alive don't call themselves seniors. My sister is an exception. She is 97 on August 9th. She goes to the gym, practices yoga, swims and drives and works in the hospice. She loves being a senior. She lives in an assisted living home, no cane, no walker. Her 97-year-old body takes care of her and she takes great care of it. She has good genes and, more importantly, a good attitude and loves her day-to-day life and HERSELF.

Using the title senior, I make an exception "at the movies." The best ticket in town is a senior ticket, otherwise, I'm just who I am at any age. It's wonderful to live a long life, but only if you live a life full of energy and have reflexes, that respond with no hesitation. You can have that life. It takes desire and dedication and, most importantly, a love of what you are doing.

I often feel like an oddity because my mind and my body are my prize possessions. I must have a dozen different kinds of exercises to activate the mind and body. Not because of the numbers ahead of me, but because I love doing them. Yoga, jump rope, languages, tango, trapeze, and memorizing multiple words. Repeating them backwards and forwards, it becomes a challenge and a game. I would love to encourage every person, not just old folks, but every one during their lives to engage themselves in this kind of interesting and positive living. They would discover a wealth of learning and doing what would delight and surprise them.

Back to the title senior. A senior in high school is heady. A senior in college is awesome. A senior at 65 is depressing! UNLESS!!! You are actively living and loving what you do. Liking yourself, giving your mind and body a real workout. Waking each day and accepting a challenge with energy and joy. That's just being who you are at any age. Any one with this life style rarely calls him or herself senior. You've long since forgotten the number. It's simply about living and loving your life.

Whether you are 65 or any number, there's a chance for a future and being your own person. So cross out that word that can be significant, but should be insignificant and damaging to growth and happiness. Even though I'm 92 and living an amazing life and definitely considered a senior, I have lots of grey hair, but you will never see it. Except in an expensive grey wig! And even if I live another five years, to me it will always be a number. Not a title.

Having a birthday is better than not having a birthday. It gives structure to your life. You know how far you've come. And how far you go can be a wonderful challenge. So being a senior can be significant. Never insignificant. But maybe even infinite. To be or not to be a senior. THAT is the question. Uh oh, that IS the question!

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