I have always had
fun with my age after I realized that I was a Leap Year baby meaning I had one
birthday for every 4 years I have lived. When I was 16 in 1952 I said I
was 4 and in the year 2000 I had a sweet 16 party but it was in 1949, when I had
my Bar Mitzvah at the age of 13 that I started to say that I was older than I really
was.

It was at 14, when I was going to the bars and baths in NYC when the legal age for drinking was 18, that I got a phony
ID and,
ironically, I was never 'carded'.  When I was in the Marines whether in
California, Korea or Japan I always added a few years to my age and after I left the Marines and lived in Hollywood, Ca.,
and Miami Beach, Florida, even though I was in my
20s I said i was 30. Most people, as a rule, foundolds very obnoxious with their know it all attitude and that doesn't seem to
have changed 50 years later. I don't know what happens at 30 but it
seems like all of a sudden people started to respect you. twenty to twenty- nine year

It was at the age
of 33 when I became 'Director Of Operations' for Weight Watchers of
Greater Memphis, Eastern Arkansas, Western Tennessee and Chattanooga that I started to
have my 'hair stylist' spray gray into my temples tpo give me that distinguished
look when I went on TV or did newspaper interviews plus added a year or
two to my age, thinking it gave me more authority.

After my Tenth Leap Year birthday it was
explained to me that the Chinese always said that you were a year older
than you thought you were. For instance when you celebrated your 40th
birthday you were actually starting your 42nd year of life and I adapted
that idea. I have, since 1978, waited until July to make myself that
year older. As an example I am, by my birth certificate, 74, or 18 1/2
Leap years, old but now, when asked I will say I am 75. Somehow or other
when February comes around in 2011 my being 75 is already a part of my
life.

Just for the record don't say "Age is only a
number" or "You are as old as you feel" or other BS like that--I've
already written a blog on how stupid those
sayings are--they are usually said by people under 60 and people who have not felt just the physical aches and pains of aging or how your body changes as you age.

I have never worried about being old or
getting older as much of my left I have lived, loved and been friends
with people older than me, with some exceptions, so I know/knew what was
ahead of/for me.

I was usually the youngest one in the crowd
but that is not true now. Aside from some of the people who live here in
Gateway I am the oldest one of my friends. I love being old and being able to look back on where I've been and how I came to where I
am now. It is, also, amusing to read blogs by kids in their 20s,
30s, 40, 50s and 60s knowing where they
are and where they are going and what they will learn.
The one thing I have learned is that though we all like to think we are
different and/or unique we really
aren't. A book I read in 1972 called "Passages" written by Gail Sheehy,
about men and the different stages
they go through is as true today as it was then and recommend all 20 year old men read it.

And, oh yes, young people always know better
than their elders or do the former listen to the latter because they
know better and aren't like others--that NEVER changes!!!!