Not too long ago when someone mentioned the AARP to me, I thought of gray hair, Ben Gay, and senior centers. I imagined little ol’ ladies sitting around doing what little ol’ ladies do – chatting, knitting, volunteering, making a quilt, and what not. I thought it was good that the AARP existed for people like them, because it means that those old people on fixed incomes will get a 10% discount at the diner by flashing their AARP card.

Well, the other day in the mail I received an invite to join the AARP. The letter came complete with a temporary ID card that I can flash to get the 10% discount myself.

It must be said that they have lowered the required age for membership to 50, which I happen to be turning this year. In fact, I have already claimed old fart status from time to time (with all due respect to all older people, whom I love) … like when twenty-somethings look at me cross-eyed when they discover I don’t care too much for texting. In those situations, all I have to say is, “Sorry, I am just an old fart.”

Hmmm. Now that I have taken a closer look at some of the AARP benefits … I can get discounts on travel, and movies, and restaurants, and (time for a little Spanish) muchas otras cosas … I think that I am going to really enjoy being a card-carrying member of the AARP.