On The Precipice

While reading the morning paper, I noted that the local seniors activity hall was welcoming members now 40 and up. It appeared as if while 30 was the new 20 somehow within just a decade 40 weathered into the new senior. No gratis bus pass or early retirement specials but nonetheless in the view of this hall at least graduating into a sort of novice eldership.

While it was hard to imagine some of my skateboarding, video game playing, facebook addicted 40+ peer group being satisfied with the bridge and table tennis on offer, it certainly gave pause to readdress the conundrum of the middle years. It was also a rather bemusing affront to the botox injecting, teeth whiting aspirations of my forever young generation.

While age was a state of mind in many regards, and lord knows I've often felt older than many of my peers, I wasn't ready to sign up just yet, after all I'm almost but still not quite old enough (and it's nice to be too young for some things). It made me wonder what 40 year olds would welcome the seniors membership card in their wallets. And if not, why not?