Heart Hope by Olga

Recently we went out to eat at an all you can eat buffet. Kids under 3 were free; kids 4-12 were $2.99 and adults were $7.99. After sitting down at the table we were checking out the receipt just to be sure we had been charged appropriately for the 3 and 5 year old children. Margaret discovered that there had been an additional 10% discount given. Upon closer examination, it was revealed that I had been given the Senior Citizens Discount. Now I don’t really mind the fact that it had cost less for me to eat...buuuut…it does kind of bother me that all the man did was look at me and issued the discount without stopping to ask if I was old enough for the reduced price.  Isn’t it funny that I don’t seem to mind when people think I am younger than my years, but I don’t want them to add years to my age. In Africa, it is considered an honor to be old, since many people die at an early age from illness, poverty, hardships or AIDS. So why are we in the US consumed with the concept of lookin...

Since yesterday was my birthday, I have been contemplating them. Isn’t it fun that we can all celebrate the day that we were born! We can have a day that is almost all our own, unlike other holidays when we have to share it with others. In our early years we cannot wait for each birthday to arrive so we can be older, in fact, we often times said things like, “I am five and a half” to make us seem older. Then as we get older we don’t really want to have anymore birthdays or at least we don’t really want people to tell people our real age. However, I do have a friend that is quite clever. She will add 5 years to her real age and then people respond with, “You look great for your age.” There are the monumental birthdays. At ten you get to be in double digits. Thirteen is an exciting one since you become a teenager. (Personally I’m not sure it’s all it is cracked up to be. Have you considered all of the things that happen during those years? Peer pressure, pimples and puberty) “Sweet sixte...