Seniority
Today is my dad's birthday. He's not exactly old, but this is the first time he's expressed dismay at the approaching anniversary. To observations that his birthday was coming up he was quick to shout out defensively, "Not yet!"
Over the past several years he's made fun of mistakenly getting the senior citizen discount at movies, restaurants, and the zoo. Now that he legitimately qualifies, I can understand why he finds the savings somewhat less amusing.
As a lark I thought I'd check out SeniorShops.com instead of GiftsForHim.com to find his present. I was surprised by what I found. There were loads of legitimate gift ideas that he'd genuinely appreciate. In the Games and Exercise section I found large-print cards that would be perfect for our cribbage games. There were resistance bands he could use to strengthen the shoulder he injured two years ago in a sledding mishap. (He's been back on the sled several times since. When he says, "Not yet!" to old age, he's not kidding.)
It wasn't long before I stopped browsing for him and began to consider how these products might improve my life. Who wouldn't want this stuff? Maybe I'm old at heart, but things like light-up slippers, robes, and massagers sound like my cup of Earl Grey.