The Half-Century Mark

Next week I will mark one of those milestones in life. I will hit the half-century mark next Monday.

I had been feeling pretty good about my looming 50th birthday until this past weekend.  I was in a store when the woman at the register asked if I would qualify for a senior discount.  I asked at what age the discount started, and she replied "Sixty or older."

Talk about a blow to the ego.

Either I looked particularly bad that day, or I am starting to look much older than I think I do.

Granted there are days when I feel much older than fifty.  I have noticed that things are starting to ache for no apparent reason, it takes a little more time to get up in the morning, and I can no longer read anything without glasses.

However, I am still competing in 5K races and consistently place in the top three.  And I wear the same size clothing as I have for the last 25 years. Nevermind the fact that size 4 has become a little snug in a few spots. And the phenomenon of going into a room and not remembering why I walked in there in the first place is happening more often.

I am usually inclined to believe the saying often attributed to Mark Twain: "Age is a case of mind over matter.  If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."  Most days, I don't give my age a thought.

But the next time a sales clerk wonders if I a might be over 60, I may need to give that person a piece of my mind.  If I can find it at that particular moment.