The top 20 reasons why it’s fun to be retired and 60+ years old.

Someone asked me if I really thought there was joy at 60, and I started to think about it. Do I really appreciate being older? In my case, the answer is a resounding yes!

1. You don’t have to worry so much about your looks. (I’ve always prided myself on wysiwyg) Okay, I have invested in makeup, but I don’t always use it.

2. You dont have to worry about finding a career. If you haven’t gotten a career by this time, you’re not going to find one. It’s free choice. If you want to change what you’re doing you can. (You can see old rock stars and feel 25 again for a few hours.)

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3. . You don’t have to spend a lot of money on clothes because  you are not out working, and people don’t care what you’re wearing anyway.

4. You don’t care what people think about you as much as you did when you were younger.

5. It doesn’t matter how you look in a bathing suit, because who really looks at 60+ women instead of other 60+ women, and most available men your age go for younger women anyway.

6. If you want to take a college course, you can take whatever you want for free at most universities. Not only that, you can audit it, and not do all the homework. You can study whatever you interested in studying about.

7. You can volunteer anywhere you want. No supervisor is going to harangue you because you’re doing it for free in the first place.

8. You can exercise whenever you want. It’s a great way to meet people.

9. You can pick a time to go shopping, and you don’t have to put up with crowds.

10. If it’s a nice day, you can go outside to take a walk without asking anybody’s permission

11. If you have a loved one, you can spend time with them without worrying about taking the children to all their activities. You don’t have to help anyone with homework either, or put up with the public school system.

12. If you’re lucky enough to have grandchildren, you can send them home whenever they are getting on your last nerve. You can play rent-a-kid with them.

13. You can attend a restaurant in peace. You don’t have to worry about what mood your children are in.

14. You don’t have to get up at 6 AM to go to work, and can sleep as late as you want!

15. You can take off on the spur of the moment. This leads to more spontaneity in your life.

16. You can take senior trips, and some of them are very cool.

17.When you pick a movie, it can be one that you’re interested in. It doesn’t have to have car chases, violence, ninja turtle-type characters.

18.You don’t have to put up with over-night pajama parties.

19.You can socialize with your kids who are now old enough to turn into real friends.

20. After you do all these things you are less stressed so go buy a new outfit, put on makeup, and still look young and sexy!

A Baby Boomer’s Reflections on Davy Jones’ Death

The TV Show,”The Monkees”  became popular in 1966. I was 16 years old, and thought I was too old for the show. It was silly. These guys, not exactly cute, sang a little and engaged in funny skits. The singers portrayed a band that just couldn’t make it in the music world.

When I found out that one of the actors, Micky Dolenz, had been “Circus Boy,” a show I watched on Saturday morning as a child. I became more interested in watching  “The Monkees.”

Davy Jones was cute but very short. He was definitely the Monkee with the most sparkling personality.  I started watching once in a while. It was mildly entertaining.  I enjoyed some of their songs.

Dolenz was on “Good Morning America” today.  Dolenz and Jones stayed together touring up to last year. They both lasted longer together than they did with their ex wives. Last year, they toured the USA.  It’s a nice story about friendship.

I cannot believe how much publicity this has gotten. I suppose people feel badly because Jones’ death reminds them of themselves as teenagers. You can look back and see yourself enjoying the TV show, and listening to the music.

The Monkees stayed together for years! 

It just shows how much we identify and admire  people on television. They become our friends and role models.

Nevertheless, I am sorry Davy Jones died a sudden death at too early an age.

I wonder what life was like before television. Did people take the time and trouble to make more real friends? Were role models different? Are we too disconnected from each other and reality?

What do you think?