It's the strangest thing, but the fact that I am almost of pensionable age has now hit me and I'm actually quite excited. I know a lot of people are worried about reaching 60, but for some reason I'm not. I think I'm looking forward to it. I say 'thinking' because I have a moment of doubt every now and then when it strikes me that for someone who never thought they'd reach 30 let alone double that, it has a bit of resonance.
Yesterday I went to the Post Office to get some Rand for my 'trip of a lifetime' to South Africa in a couple of weeks, and while I was there I decided to pick up the Government leaflets on free bus passes for over 60's. I picked up 2 because Mountain Man hasn't got his bus pass yet and he turned 60 nine months ago. I was surprised he hadn't done this as it's quite a perk. Free bus travel to anywhere in Scotland with the flick of a photocard... what's not to want?
And other perks potentially coming my way? A rail card, cheap cinema tickets, theatre concessions, and that, I feel, is the tip of the iceberg.
Of course the down side to all this is that I will get sent all the Over 60's things that the government and for some odd reason, clothing stores, seem to think I need. The fact that these two are inexorably linked has always worried me. When I turned 50 I suddenly got a Saga magazine through my door along with catalogues with the kind of clothes I wouldn't be seen dead in. How did they know my birthday? I can only make a guess, but it doesn't take a genius to know that somewhere someone down the line is selling all this info.
It'll be interesting to see what comes fluttering through my door to tell me that I'm now an OAP and should dress in a way that befits the age... yeh... that'll be right!
But before I get to *the birthday* I have No 1 son's birthday this weekend and then the dreaded C stuff after I get back from SA to contend with. Lots to keep me busy without thinking about what outrageous things I can do to show them all that over 60 doesn't mean flowery prints and lots of grey baggy things in large sizes - what is it that makes these catalogues assume that the moment you hit a certain age your body miraculously balloons to matronly proportions?
Surely I can come up with something....?
It's funny how quickly the years pass.
ReplyDeleteYou seem a very young nearly-sixty year old to me. Be outrageous. Enjoy!
Don't worry Karen... I intend to be. My children have already despaired of me. I think I've won Embarrassing Mother of the Year award for many, many years in their eyes!
ReplyDeleteThe perks sound like being a student! Much more like you than a pensioner.
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