Jill's Journal: 83 cents to be told, 'Hey lady, you're old ...'

In recent weeks, I’ve decided that 59 is an “awkward age,” similar to how the word “awkward” is spelled. It’s, well, “awkward.”

As I look back, it’s similar to those goofy early teen years where you yearned to be older but still wanted to hold onto the fun of being a kid and getting away with doing “kid stuff.”

Fifty-nine is a lot like that, too.

It’s an age where you’re not old enough for all of the perks of retirement, but yet old enough to be thrown into the world of “senior discounts.”

I got to thinking about this after reading a Facebook post that a high school classmate had posted.

My classmate’s post told how she had stopped at the liquor store to pick up a bottle of wine. With her hair swept up into a ponytail and wearing a baseball cap, the clerk behind the counter asked for her I.D. A few days later, Jenna, her daughter had an appointment at the orthodontist, and following the appointment, they stopped by a local taco joint for lunch.

Once again, my classmate had her hair tied up in a ponytail and once again, she topped it off with a baseball cap. When she arrived at the table, her daughter was laughing and memorializing the food receipt in a photograph. 

Printed on the receipt was the following: “Senior Discount … 83 cents.”

My classmate’s Facebook post received a smorgasbord of feedback.

One shared that she and her husband went to see a movie recently and they were given the “senior discount” with no questions asked.

“Ponytails are deceiving,” another member of our high school class member posted.

And another chimed in, “Well, on the bright side, you saved 83 cents.”

“This made me smile. Too bad the insult was only worth 83 cents,” noted a fourth classmate.

I didn’t offer Amy a single word of sympathy. I’ve witnessed – and endured – many “love-hate, senior discount” moments over the years.

I well remember the time when my folks and I were paying to dine at a large-scale buffet. “Two adults and one senior,” the young teen behind the counter suggested, referring to my dad and me as the “two adults,” which left the “senior” tag for mom.

Just as easily as I remember the incident, I well remember the scowl on mom’s face. It said, “I’m not the only senior here, kiddo!”

She was quick to correct the teen behind the counter: “No, one adult and two seniors.”

This past Sunday following church, three of my peeps in the pew and I ventured out for breakfast, and as we perused the menu, one took notice of the “senior benefits” on the menu. I already had my taste buds tuned in for eggs benedict, and saw that they offered a “senior” portion of the entrée. Essentially, it was a one-egg plate, rather than the two-egg plate I elected to order, and as expected, it came at a discounted price, albeit a few more dollars than the 83 cents my classmate received.

Yep, 59 is an awkward age, but I guess it comes with a few perks, even if it’s 83 cents at a time.

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There are two great causes to support this weekend – unfortunately, neither comes with a senior discount – but there’s guaranteed good fun, fellowship and food to enjoy at Friday’s Auction Amore, the Brandon Valley Area Chamber’s annual fundraiser, and Saturday’s 38th annual  Ed Police Wild Game Feed.

I happen to be on the planning crew of both, so I hope to you at both events!