Rita Allen, director of the Shelbyville-Bedford County Library, reported she got a bit of a shock when her stepdaughter called and referred to her husband as “an elderly gentleman.”

I nearly choked on my coffee right then and there. Having been born the same year as my husband, I admit the comment shook me a little. I don’t consider myself “elderly”. A senior citizen or a senior and definitely a “Baby Boomer”–but not elderly. Good grief! I identify more with one of our nonfiction titles, “How Did I Get to Be 70 When I’m 35 Inside?” by Linda Douty.

In this humorous piece in the Times-Gazette (Shelbyville, TN) she wonders when “old age” really starts. She refers to a survey she read that said:

“Interestingly, when asked to pinpoint when “old age” begins, both the oldest and youngest Boomers selected ages well beyond them. The youngest boomers said a person becomes old at age 78, while the oldest boomers said old age begins at 80.” That’s more like it.

She goes on to consider famous centenarians who are over 100 years old including Kirk Douglas and Dame Olivia de Haviland.

Whether you are elderly or not, she urges us all to keep reading.

You can read the original article by clicking here.