A Letter About Senior Discounts
Dear Uncle Clovis and Aunt Ethyl Ann,
Hello! How are you? How are things down on the farm? I hope you are keeping the chickens in line. I know they can be difficult sometimes. How are they liking the egg-shaped disco ball you put in the chicken house?
Anyway, it has finally happened. I guess I am finally starting to look old. That’s the only explanation I can come up with.
The other night, Jaylin and I went to grab a quick bite to eat. We decided on Taco Bell, always one of our favorite places. We each got one of their $5 boxes, so a quick calculation in my head told me that the total would be just under $11 after tax. But then I saw something flash on the screen, and the total dropped down to under $10. At that point, I realized what message had briefly flickered on the screen:
SENIOR DISCOUNT
That’s right, I got the senior discount on our meal. At least I am assuming that the cashier guy gave it to me and not to Jaylin. I know he is growing up quickly, but surely Jaylin isn’t starting to look that advanced in years yet. No, it must have been me.
Plus, the cashier guy looked to be around my age. But then maybe I am as bad at guessing people’s ages as he is. Maybe we were both way off in our estimates of each other. Maybe he thought I was Jaylin’s grandfather or something. It wouldn’t be the first time I was mistaken for Jaylin’s grandpa, actually.
Here I am, in the prime of my life. Well, maybe some people don’t consider mid-40s to be the prime of life, but to me it doesn’t feel all that different from the mid-30s, and only slightly different from the mid-20s. Yes, I may not have the head of hair that I enjoyed as a teenager, but how bad is that? But still, I feel like I still have a long way to go.
But maybe I should start eating supper around 4:30 and going to bed by 7:30 or so, which would make staying up to watch the late show actually just tuning in to Wheel of Fortune after the evening news. I am also in the market for a good quality recliner and a warm cardigan, if Uncle Clovis can give me any pointers there.
I was slightly offended by this attack on my appearance, wondering how I suddenly started to look so old. But then I realized that this fact had saved me a dollar. That’s right, I went from paying with a $10 bill and a $1 bill to just paying with a $10 and still getting change back. And suddenly, my mood brightened just a bit. Maybe this senior discount thing is worth it after all, I started to think. Maybe I could start to deposit all of my senior discount savings in an IRA, and have some more money to retire on when I actually am older. Hmm, this might be a good thing.
That bubble was slightly shattered a little while later, however. Laura was on her way to meet us there, getting there well after we did because of an appointment. When she was getting close, I went to the counter to order her food. The cashier guy was out sweeping the parking lot, so another employee took my order. And she didn’t give me a senior discount.
Was that a good thing because she didn’t think I look old, or was it a bad thing because I had to pay full price? Oh well, I guess I am a winner either way, right?
So anyway, that is the news from around here lately. As you can guess, there hasn’t been anything big to report.
Hope all is well. Tell the chickens I said hello.
Love, Steve
