Crescent Lake at the Boardwalk Inn
Disney For Seniors BY STEVE RUSSO
I
’m not sure exactly when it happened, but it did. Somewhere along this journey we call “life,” I became a senior citizen. If you asked me today how old I am, there’s something inside my brain—the left side to be sure—that would answer, “19.” The left brain still remembers the days of leaping fences and taking stairs two at a time. The right brain just stares at the left side, shakes his head slowly and makes that “tsk-ing” sound. It goes on to say that a senior is “over retirement age.” Really? What, exactly, is retirement age? You can join AARP at 50. I know several people that
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retired from full-time employment well before the typical retirement age of 62 or 66 or whatever number the government is using these days. I also know of people that continue to work well into their 70s. So which is it? Are you considered a senior at 50? As you can see, determining if one has entered seniorocity, er, seniorness is very difficult. Fear not—because in yet another public service for you, my faithful readers, I have devised a simple test that will accurately determine whether or not you qualify as a card-carrying, early-bird special-hunting senior. If you can answer yes to three of the following
OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined
four questions, you’re a senior. Ready? • Are you retired? • Are you a grandparent? • Can you remember your high school locker combination but your wife has to pin a note to your jacket when you head to the store for milk? • Do you make a guttural noise that sounds very much like “Okie-doke!” whenever you do something strenuous, such as getting out of a chair? How’d you do? I should note that originally there was a fifth question that had to do with graying hair. I’ve often said that gray hair is a sign of intelligence and I can tell you I’m get-
