I’m a Senior, a White Top, a Golden Ager, Matriarch, one of the old folks, an elderly person, etc. You pick? No, I get to pick. I don’t need someone to tell me all this. I’m not ready to be pigeonholed. I’m ME! I’m not ready to be treated like I’m incapacitated mentally or physically. I’m neither. I’m not ready to be told all the ills of old age or what’s down the road and I’d better get ready. 

I turned 70 this year. Decades are important. For some reason, the beginning of a new decade is bothersome to some. It has happened to me. This birthday has been the most difficult to deal with-for I have started my decade of 70. To move from 60s to 70s feels rather intimidating; however, I’ve decided to not think about how old 70 is, but how lucky I am to be alive and to be full of life. I’m not done yet! And I want the world to know it!

So young and old, join with me and show the world that older people deserve to be treated with respect and admiration. Let’s all look forward to each decade as it comes. I challenge everyone to show the world that being older doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to look forward to in this life.