Getting old isn’t for sissies.

With just nine months to go before I hit the big 6-0, I can attest to the aches and pains that come with old age – not to mention the fact that once I hit 50, my body totally rebelled against me and began falling apart bit by bit – skin, eyesight, hearing, digestive tract. The “Golden Years?” Yeah, right.

But while there are plenty of disadvantages to becoming a senior citizen, there are many benefits as well. It beats the heck out of croaking, and it’s nice to get those senior discounts at restaurants. It’s also pretty cool, too, that seniors can get away with saying whatever’s on their minds – giving people a piece of their minds whenever they feel like it. People just chalk up a senior’s misbehavior to a lack of oxygen to the brain.

What’s even better, although a little scary sometimes, is the people around you begin to believe that if you’re THAT OLD, you’re bound to be full of wisdom. And, they begin to defer to your judgement, even though what seniors are really full of is ... Well, you know where I’m going with this.

I feel fairly comfortable taking the lead in many situations – what this month’s supper club theme should be; whether to plant petunias or impatiens; when to take the steaks off the grill; what over-the-counter laxative is the gentlest on your system.

As long as an airline pilot doesn’t ask me to take over for him at the controls or the President doesn’t consult me before invading another country or, heaven forbid, someone asks me to explain the stupidity of folks like John Edwards, I should be able to handle my new role as a wise old crone.

I suppose I have gained some wisdom over the years. I know now that what other people think of me doesn’t matter as much as what I think of myself. As long as I’m not ashamed to look in the mirror, that’s what counts. Oh, I have regrets for sure, but I’ve learned with age to let go of the things I can’t do over and, instead, learn from the mistakes I’ve made and try to do better in the future.

I’ve learned, too, that we’re all the same. We all put our drawers on one leg at a time, just like my grandmother used to say. And, I’m no longer intimidated by any human being.

I also realize now that most controversies and disputes in this world are miniscule in the larger scheme of things. When you look at the big picture, does it really matter where Brett Favre plays football or that Barack Obama and his wife fist bump each other or that kids put rings through their noses?

What we need to focus on is treating folks better and getting along with each other and making the world a better place for those we will leave behind ...

And, of course, getting enough fiber in our diets each day. That’s a tough one.

T&D Region Editor Carol Barker can be reached by e-mail at cbarker@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5525.

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