I am Seventy-Four Years Old

Written by MJ Reporter Willow LaMunyon

Photo is Willow's Leg

"And how many years young are you?"

When I was asked how many years young, it insulted me. They might as well have said, "I will pretend you are always young because it is so embarrassing to be old."

Okay, kids, it’s time to look at your future. It took those of us who are old, years of experience to get to the top. We are the senior class now, and if you work hard, you just might be as wise as we have become. In the process of achieving the title of old, we have been broken of heart and body. Then we learned how to put ourselves back together again. We have learned the secret of being in the moment and truly appreciating the joy that we find in a beautiful flower, a refreshing nap, a party where we drink one too many or worrying/ embarrassing our families at least once every day.

When we were young, we were hurt and sometimes deeply by the roadblocks life threw our way. However, we chose to learn how to make the lowest part of our lives become our strength.

When we were young, we experienced the miracle of love, maybe becoming a parent or the chance to be close to a child in our lives.

Every success turned us into kinder and more peaceful old people. I am not any years young, but I am a proud seventy-four years old, and the party isn't over.

I have the kind of freedom that I am experiencing for the first time in all my years. Instead of answering to others, I answer to myself. When I was a child every time we went on summer vacation; I would ask my parents why we didn't move out of the town where we all were born and experience something new. Two years ago, I realized it was now or never, so I moved. I decided that being old didn't stop me from having a new adventure.

I am now a small-town grandma surrounded by hills and trees and the kind of nature's beauty that nourishes my soul.

When I make mistakes, I am the only one I have to answer to, and when I want to be an eccentric old lady, I am.

I am the senior class, happy, wise, full of past experiences, and enjoying today. The first time I saw a tattoo that was truly colorful and beautiful, I wanted one, and old never means too old. Notice the picture of the beautiful tattoo. That is my leg. Nothing within my ability and my capability is reserved for the young because I am seventy-four years OLD.

I am seventy-four years old gets a Medicare Jet-Setters groovy rating.