When did the rules of aging change?(Special Section)(50-Plus)

0 Comments | Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), May, 2004

Byline: Shelley Carlson When did the rules of aging change? It seems that somewhere between my first invitation from AARP and joining the ranks of the seriously elderly, it became a whole new ballgame. Once I got past the point where clerks and waiters no longer questioned me when I asked for the senior discount, I decided to relax and enjoy the ride.

I would become a comfortable old granny and not worry about the sagging, creasing, graying and general falling apart. And I'd hang out with all the other old grannies, wearing baggy purple sweats, ankle socks and gym shoes. Maybe I'd top off the outfit with a red hat, which seems to have become the symbol of defiant old-ladydom. I would spend my days knitting, baking cookies, complaining about the moral decay...