It’s a first! We walked into a restaurant yesterday with adult and senior prices, and the server immediately said, “That’s two senior meals?” In this case they defined ‘senior’ as 60+
Yes, I have been asked occasionally if I would like the senior discount, but in this case it was assumed!
Then I realized there are a few different ways to look at this. The negative viewpoint is accepting that we look 60, which Mike is. He has mostly gray hair, and a weathered face from working hard and outside quite a bit, so this was not really a stretch.
Another way to look at this is that they were trying to reward us for living so long. We have become the respected elders of our tribe.
This is not about ego and vanity for me, it just surprises me when others see me as their elder. I simply haven’t yet gotten used to being seen as a senior.
I recall a great scene from the film “It’s Complicated”, where Meryl Streep catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror and says, “Is that REALLY what I look like?” I laughed out loud! I saw myself so clearly in that same mirror.
I got my first ‘Senior Citizen’ discount at a Wendy’s. I was only 48 when the cashier automatically rang me up. When I complained, she said she could charge me the extra money and I could pay it back. I thought for a moment and said ‘No Thanks’. I liked saving the money MORE than what the cashier thought of me. I knew it was because I had stopped dying my hair (I had been dying it since I was 21) and little specs of gray peaked out amongst the blonde. The standard reaction, I think, would have been for me to start dying my hair again. Not so. I completely let myself go gray and I have been saving money ever since then! That was 16 years ago and I’ve been laughing all the way to the bank counting up all that money I have been saving over the years.
Enjoy the discounts. Don’t question them. We deserve them!
Yes. I was at McDonalds the other day and the girl very kindly chsrged me for a senior coffee. I was a bit surprised but I got over it. Do I feel like a senior? No I don’t. But I remember my mother saying the same thing. I think she was around 60 and she declared “I don’t jnow where that came from. I sure don’t feel 60”. I also remember thinking to myself at the time “yeah, right?” My parents always looked old to me. Beauty, er AGE is in the eye of the beholder!!
Adventures of the NEW??? Old Farts 
I’m right there with you sista!
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Reblogged this on Midlife Crisis Queen: The Weblog.
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I always think that people my age look old..then I look in the mirror. Hmmm…well….
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I got my first ‘Senior Citizen’ discount at a Wendy’s. I was only 48 when the cashier automatically rang me up. When I complained, she said she could charge me the extra money and I could pay it back. I thought for a moment and said ‘No Thanks’. I liked saving the money MORE than what the cashier thought of me. I knew it was because I had stopped dying my hair (I had been dying it since I was 21) and little specs of gray peaked out amongst the blonde. The standard reaction, I think, would have been for me to start dying my hair again. Not so. I completely let myself go gray and I have been saving money ever since then! That was 16 years ago and I’ve been laughing all the way to the bank counting up all that money I have been saving over the years.
Enjoy the discounts. Don’t question them. We deserve them!
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LOL! Yes Cindi! My husband had the perfect response to this post: It’s new to you so it seems a bit strange. You’ll get used to it!
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Yes. I was at McDonalds the other day and the girl very kindly chsrged me for a senior coffee. I was a bit surprised but I got over it. Do I feel like a senior? No I don’t. But I remember my mother saying the same thing. I think she was around 60 and she declared “I don’t jnow where that came from. I sure don’t feel 60”. I also remember thinking to myself at the time “yeah, right?” My parents always looked old to me. Beauty, er AGE is in the eye of the beholder!!
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