By John Toth
The Bulletin
Hi, my name is John Toth, and I am a senior citizen. They tell me that I have been one for quite a while.
I’m not as old as my car mechanic. He is 75 and still works every day.
I’m not as old as Donna Chesney Loggins of West Columbia, who still works in her jewelry store five days a week. She is 90.
I’m not as old as Mick Jagger, who still jumps around the stage for two hours and belts out some iconic Rolling Stones songs. He is 80.
Compared to them, I’m still a youngster.
But the Social Security Administration reminds me every month that I’m old enough when it places money into my checking account.
I admit, I have a problem dealing with being labeled a senior citizen. I don’t feel like one, yet the numbers show that I am not getting any younger.
I spent a lot of time in the summers of the 1970s on the shores of Lake Ossipee in eastern New Hampshire, cooking out, admiring sunsets and talking about stuff that wasn’t relevant to anything. I was in college and didn’t have a care in the world.
While most of what we did and said is long forgotten, one night when we were roasting hot dogs over a campfire still stands out.
We took turns predicting what we would be doing at 65, which at the time, was unimaginably far away. I can’t remember what the others said, but when it was my turn, I said that I wanted to write.
“But you’re in engineering,” said one of my buddies.
“Yes, but that’s what I want to do at age 65. I want to write. What about you? You’re in pre-med. What do you want to do?” I asked him.
“I want to be a singer,” he said, and everybody cracked up.
I don’t know if he is a singer now. In the ‘70s, we went our separate ways after the summer. Unless we returned the next year to the same place to work, we often didn’t stay in touch.
But I do know that I’m still a writer and am a bit north of 65.
I’m not alone. There are a lot of people like me who won’t give up what they have been doing for many decades. In my case, something probably will have to happen to me physically or mentally to give up what I do.
I went to the Internet machine to see if my way of thinking is an anomaly or pretty common.
“The number of senior citizens in the workforce has increased in recent decades, with 19% of Americans aged 65 and older employed in 2023, up from 11% in 1987. This increase is due to a number of factors, including:
“Population growth: The Baby Boom generation has reached the age of 65.
“Age-friendly jobs: More jobs are less physically demanding.
“Healthier seniors: Seniors are generally healthier than previous generations.”
There is one more factor: Staying active.
I still like making a living by publishing The Bulletin. My mechanic, I assume, still likes working on cars. Mrs. Loggins must like to work in her store, and I know that Jagger likes to jump around on stage singing something about no satisfaction.
But satisfaction is exactly why many seniors keep on working way past retirement age. They are a conscientious part of the workforce that can be counted on and trusted. They show up on time, work hard and do not stay on their cellphones during working hours.
I am part of this Boomer generation and proud of it. I don’t want what I do to end, and yet it will someday - but not yet.
Everything ends eventually. The ‘70s ended (sad face), and we all grew up and got jobs, careers and families - and car and mortgage payments.
Some things we went through didn’t work out as well as others, but we got over it and pressed on.
Those of you, dear readers, who still work, march on and have fun. Those of you who are enjoying retirement, have fun and stay active and social.
So, Happy World / National Senior Citizens Day to all seniors. Just like the ‘70s were a great time to grow up, today is a great time to be a senior. even if some of us hate to admit that we are.
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