Advantages of Being 50-Something

You hear and read a lot about all the negative aspects of growing older. Am I the only person who has noticed that there are some reasons to be happy about being half a century old?

Been there, done that

Maybe you have never looked at mistakes in a positive light. By the time a person turns fifty, he or she has most likely committed quite a few blunders in several areas of life-from romances to finances. Hopefully, after reaping the consequences of some dumb decisions, lessons are learned. There seems to be some kind of correlation between age and serious mischief-the older the person, the less serious the mischief he creates. Could this be due to fading brain cells and dwindling energy? Perhaps when you cannot think or move as fast as you once did, you tend to get into less trouble.

Senior discounts start kicking in.

Some places of business offer a discount to customers 50 and over. This discount can be from 10 to 20 per cent off of your entire purchase. Some restaurants offer free coffee or reduced-price menu items. Many businesses have raised their senior discount minimum age to 60 or 65. At least that gives the fifty-something folks something to look forward to.

What's on your mind?

During the younger years, speaking your mind or being opinionated is frowned upon. The older you get, the more opinionizing you can get away with. People might still shake their heads in wonder that you just unabashedly expressed yourself without concern for backlash, but they tend to blame it on your age.

You can laugh with your kids.

When you felt totally responsible for the actions of your offspring, their antics, especially the public ones, were not always funny at the time. With the passing of years, you begin to see some humor in those embarrassing episodes-especially when the grandkids pull the same stunts as their parents once did.

Your closet becomes a treasure chest.

(This point does not apply to those people who actually get rid of all those old clothes that no longer fit.) When a member of a younger generation needs to put together a cheap, yet authentic costume, the closet of a 50-something-year-old yields a myriad of choices. Chances are there is a polyester garment from the 60's somewhere in there-or at least a wide-collared shirt, or some bell-bottoms or parachute pants. It may look like clutter to the casual observer, but to some it is a goldmine.

Count your blessings, Baby Boomers and other aging folks. We've got reasons to celebrate while we take our Celebrex!