Milestone birthdays are the ones we look forward to achieving.
The first one I celebrated was an odd year. In Louisiana, teens could get their driver’s license at the age of 15, and I desperately wanted to drive.
On my birthday, I arrived at the DMV before they opened and was the first person in line to get my license.
The next milestone birthday was the year I turned 18. Not because I could buy liquor and cigarettes.
The real reason was – nerd alert – because I could vote in a presidential election.
I was so excited to finally have a voice in helping choose the next president.
Turning 50 was a big deal for me. I’d started a new career, and my boys were living in a college dorm. My identity had changed from mom to no-longer-needed mom. With a few bumps and tears, the year turned into a successful milestone.
Fifty-five was a great year because the discounts began to flutter in my lap like autumn leaves. Stores had a special day of the week where seniors got an extra discount.
Restaurants, like IHOP and Dairy Queen, offered “early-bird specials” for people over the age of 55, and I loved getting a couple of bucks off the price of my pancakes or burgers.
There wasn’t a discount or special offer I missed once I hit that golden age. Every place I went, I’d always ask for the senior discount.
Twenty percent off clothes on Wednesdays, special discounts on Tuesdays and free coffee at some fast-foot joints. Throw in an AARP card, and the savings roll in for the silver-haired crowd.
Lots of businesses cater to old folks. Tuesdays are senior discount days at the movies, but that’s not a huge incentive for me. Being older means I don’t like driving at night, so I usually go to the afternoon matinee.
But I love that the discount is available.
This year, I had another milestone birthday – 70. Most people don’t like admitting how old they are. I look at it differently.
I had no control over when I was born, so my age isn’t a decision I made, and I don’t mind telling people how old I am.
So far, being 70 has come in handy.
My cell phone was giving me a headache. I got a message that the phone couldn’t save my photos because I didn’t have enough room in the cloud.
I already pay extra for storage, and I didn’t want to upgrade again. I went to the Apple Store, and a nice young lady asked if she could help me.
“I’m having trouble with storage,” I told her, and then I had an idea.
“You know, I’m 70 years old and these things just aren’t as easy as they were when I was your age,” I said as I held out the phone to her.
She smiled and helped me figure out the problem.
I think she felt like she was helping her own grandmother.
After that, I was on a roll.
The tire pressure light came on in my car, so I went to the tire store. I explained to the nice young man that I was 70 years old. I didn’t have a clue what all those bells and lights were all about.
Just like the girl in the Apple Store, he smiled and said he’d handle everything for me.
Admission – I knew more than I let them see. I think the old saying is “dumb like a fox.”
These milestone birthdays just might be worth their weight in gold. I wonder what I can get when I hit 80?
This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.