Beginning the process

Two days ago I realized that, four months from that very day, I would be turning 70. Christmas Eve will see me enter my eighth decade. What?! Of course, I have celebrated other significant birthdays and shared in the benefits of each. 

Turning 50 brought the uninvited weekly correspondence from AARP - and - Who told them, anyway?. Automatic notices about all things "senior" began appearing in my inbox. But, it did come with some perks: dining discounts, travel tips, geriatric romance advice, and a Membership Card. (Anything with a membership card must be important.)

Becoming 65 was more of a wake-up call. There was Medicare - Part A only for me, since I was still working. And that gave me time to research Part B, Part D, Supplemental... who can make any sense of this healthcare puzzle? More information came pouring into the mail focusing on Retirement, Social Security, Senior Living and volunteer opportunities for Active Adults. 

So now I am approaching the big "7 - 0".  Who says that, you ask?  No one. In fact, if you go look for birthday party goods - paper plates, napkins, banners, etc, there's a huge assortment for "40", "50", "60" and even "65"... "70"? - nothing. What does that say? Maybe it has something to do with what I recently discovered about the generation that I belong to. We all know the Baby Boomers and Generation X, the Millennials or Gen Y. But, I was born in 1943 - where do I belong? Well, I just found out. First of all, my contemporaries and I are grouped with those born from 1925 - 1945. (Those are some really old people.) Then, apparently we are known as the "Mature" or "Silent" Generation. I object! I have decided that since I was born on the cusp of this generation, I choose to be "Not Silent". 

Some say that 70 is the new 40 or the new 50. Really? I think I will join those of my friends who create our own definition of turning 70. And I begin to do so by retiring from my job after 26 years of doing something that I truly enjoyed..