Monday night, I stopped off at a local diner for dinner by myself. I love sitting down alone with a newspaper at the end of a demanding day and having someone else make food appear in front of me. And this diner in particular has the most delicious walnut and raisin pancakes. Yum-tacular!
So I read the paper, ate my pancakes, paid my bill, and left—then looked at the bill as I slipped it into my purse once I got in the car.
I had been given the senior discount!
Mostly it cracked my up, though I found myself wondering if work had left me looking particularly brow-beaten or something. Yes, I have grey at the temples, yes, I’m overweight—but I’m only just slipping past my mid-forties. Saving $1.10 is nice, but I’m afraid the cost to my self-concept may have been a bit high. (And I didn’t even have any knitting with me on which to blame my perceived old-ladiness.)
DH received an application to AARP in the mail on his 30th birthday. He is still reeling from the shock. Lucky for him, he finds it amusing when the kids he teach assume he must be “like forty or something” because he wears a tie and is greying at the temples.
Oh! Oh my. Hmmmm, ummmmm, it’s good to get a discount. Naw, that’s worse than being called ma’am by the 17 year old working the till at the coffee place. I’m sorry. 🙂
Ahhh I can relate.
Once when I was about your age, maybe a little younger, I went into a store and bought some pads (yes, sanitary pads) and went to check out.
As usual, my husband stood back behind me. (what is it with men and sanitary items?)
When I checked out, the lady (gray over-teased hair and tons of makeup) told me, “it’s senior’s day”
I said, “what???”
she repeated it.. went on.. more repeated questions… not my best day…
and suddenly the lightbulb went off and I said:
“Ohhhh you think I am a senior?? Lady, my mother isn’t even a senior!! Do you think I’m buying these for my grand-daughter??”
My DH was laughing his ass off behind me. They didn’t think he was with me since he is Asian and I am not. Another false assumption.
I will NEVER forget it. My DH said, “just take the discount and run”
A wakeup call, since I stopped dyeing my hair. At least I had my own hair!!
btw love your pangea shawl. It was a great knit!!!!!
What’s up with that!!
Someone automatically gave me the senior discount one morning (60+ years) when my hair was gray and I was barely 50, and then when I went to the same person later in the same day she didn’t give it to me.
This aging thing is very weird.
Yeah, just before my birthday (not yet 40)this year someone asked if my 4 year old was my grand daughter. Ugh.
LOL! Our first surprise senior discount was in a little cafe at the end of a very, very long day of travel. We were both over 50, DH has grey hair, and as tired as we were, I’m thinking we looked a lot older than that.
These are the funniest comments I’ve seen in your blog YET!
Melissa will appreciate this particular memory: when our dad neared that magical age, (his hair had turned white at a somewhat early age) he’d come home HIGHLY insulted every time someone offered the Senior Discount – until he realized he could save some serious bucks. After that, he’d always ask, everywhere, “Hey – don’t I get a senior discount?” I ended up getting him a T-shirt that read: “Senior Citizen – Gimme my damn discount”. He loved it. His wife was not amused.
It just goes to prove that with some people, their sense of thrift will win out every time over vanity…
The best senior discount is the Golden Age Passport for the National Parks. For a one time fee of $10.00 you get free entry into the parks for life! It also works as an Adventure Pass for the National Forests. We got ours when we were only 10- days past 62.
This whole ageism thing works both ways. I have quite stiff knees (one operated on arthroscopically) but in our family we don’t go gray! So I struggle up a slope and everyone wonders why I am so slow, not realizing I am 70!