Let's Be Real

I retired at 60. We were fortunate to be able to do so financially, and let's face it, I was never one of those people for whom work was the very essence of my being. I know there are those who feel that way, but I had things I wanted to read and write and experience that did not involve continuing my work. I loved my job and I really loved the people I worked with, but enough is enough. I'm happy I left, and every month I get a nice pension deposit that keeps the happiness afloat.

The other night, I saw the excruciating sight of a man aged 81 years trying to say a few sentences to the press, and freezing in midsentence before being led away by a colleague who happens to be a medical doctor.

I have never before been in favor of mandatory age limits for anyone in any job. But for crying out loud, that man, Senator McConnell, took a fall earlier this year, suffered a rib injury and a concussion, was out of work for six weeks, and has returned to a very important job, and if you can't tell that he's not up to it, you're not looking at it fairly.

And this is not any partisan thing for me. I happen to think that the current president is too old to continue serving in that role. 

There are younger men and women who are ready to serve in these highest roles in government, and maybe we are missing out on what they have to offer by insisting they stick around just because they've always been there.

I don't think we can make a law saying "70 and out," or whatever, but I would like to think that people should recognize they are not quite as strong as they were at 40, and maybe step aside voluntarily. We can't force people to go, but they should want to leave it up to someone else now.

I'll catch hell from the Gray Panthers on this, but since I am superannuated myself, let them bring it. 

It says here, a person who really loves his or her country or government or county or city or whatever should be willing to step away from the spotlight and let it shine on someone else.

And I think that people my age should be retested annually by the Motor Vehicle Administration to verify that they are still capable of operating a motor vehicle.  

Here we go...