Thursday, January 22, 2015

AT ONE TIME YOU ARE TOO YOUNG....AND THEN YOU ARE TOO OLD!!

I can remember in my youth when I was often too young to do some things.

One example is when I was about 14 at swimming lessons down at Mandurah I had passed the exam and received my Bronze Lifesaving Medal.  Later that day the older people were going for their Silver Medal and one young chap didn't have a partner so I was asked to work with him.  I did everything one had to do to earn the Silver but because I was too young the instructor apologised but said I'd have to come back in a couple of years.  I never did as I found other things of interest.

Another example in my youth was you had to be 21 to be served alcohol in an hotel.  I was not a person who drank at that time so it didn't worry me but I knew many young people who broke the law being under age.   I doubt many were asked for proof of age and then years later the drinking age was lowered to 18.   I have never agreed with that decision but I guess you have to move with the times, for better or worse.

We also had to wait to vote until we were 21 and we who belonged to the "Young Libs" would get frustrated as elections came along and we were unable to vote.  That too of course changed, and now young people can vote at age 18.  Sometimes I also wonder if that was a good decision but if you can go away and fight for your country then I guess you should be able to drink and vote when you reach 18.

I am sure there were other occasions when I was too young to do certain things but now I come to being too old.

 I frequently see on TV, especially if I happen to occasionally turn it on during the day, constant advertisements for funeral insurance.  My daughter always says pre-paying for your funeral may be a good idea but what if the funeral home goes broke before you die which I feel is perhaps a good argument for not doing so.  This though is not what I'm thinking about.  Phil and I are TOO OLD to take out funeral insurance!!   Imagine that.   I think you have to be perhaps younger than 74 or in some cases 79 but he and I have obviously gone past our use by dates.  That's so sad.

The other day on Facebook there was a little competition which for a bit of fun I took part in and gave the correct answer.   I then moved on to the next section and found it was a competition being run by Myer.  Having answered correctly I was entitled to leave my name, email address and date of birth.  When I went to do so and scrolled down to my year of birth I WAS TOO OLD.  It only went down to 1934 and I was born in 1932.   Imagine being too old to enter a competition??   Come on Myer that is an insult to the older members of the population.  I thought to complain but then thought "why bother?"

I am sure there are many other things for which Phil and I are too old so does that mean we are now redundant?   Sort of living out here in the wilderness where nobody is interested in us?  Never mind.  We still have each other and I guess, when you think of it, that's all we really need.

So to all you youngsters out there.   Make hay while the sun shines before you are past it.

12 comments:

  1. To old for a competition I cannot imagine why. You two are doing well I think. Just a number right? right?:):) I make hay:):)Hug B

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    1. Perhaps Buttons we oldies don't spend enough money to be included? It's the mighty dollar they're after really. and yes, it is just a number even though on the high side!! xx

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  2. I think you should contact Myer and let them know they blew it.

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    1. Sound advice Delores....I just may do that and find out what they have to say.

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  3. Hari OM
    Oh yes Mimsie you definitely ought to let Myer know that you fell off the end!!! I am more than certain that they will be dismayed and whilst they may not be able to alter programming too readily, I am willing to bet that they will forward you a voucher - I experienced that sort of thing from Coles once (not to do with age but the point is these retailers work hard to keeping folk on side!!!)

    On another note; slightly different but with similarities - in that until teh big MENO hit, I always looked younger than my years. For a very long time (until my mid-twenties) bus drivers would ask to see my school pass!!! It was entertaining until I realised I'd rather be a grown up.... YAM xx

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    1. Perhaps I may win a voucher!! That would be a first for me. I once took back a sweet that had a piece of metal in it. The storekeeper thanked me and duly returned it and said perhaps I may get a box of sweet or similar as an apology. Nothing at all which is about my luck as a rule.
      I always looked older than my years but apparently that is not quite the case now as people often look surprised when I say I have an 18 year old great-granddaughter. Maybe when my hair turns white it will do the trick. xxx

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  4. Definitely contact Myer. I suspect they will be thrilled, and need to know anyway. Assumptions like the one they made are a mistake.
    Hugs.

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    1. You have encouraged me to contact Myer although it is possible it was all a scam anyway and they may have no knowledge of it.
      It just got me a little mad to think I was too old and get me to thinking at our age we probably don't spend enough money for it to be worth their while to include us.

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  5. Young, old, older....it is all an adventure!...:)JP

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    1. I guess when it ceases to be an adventure it's then you know you are TOO OLD!!!

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  6. There was something on TV a few months ago about Funeral Insurance, apparently it isn't what people think it is. I'd be looking very carefully into exactly what it is before signing anything. I think a lot of people are confusing it with pre-paid funerals, where you choose the style of funeral, service and coffin etc and pay for it over time so that when the time comes your family don't have to fork out for your funeral. Funeral Insurance is not quite the same thing.
    That too young-too old thing is tricky. I was too young to be a hippie flower-child and by the time I was old enough the movement had passed by. By then of course I'd learned more about it and didn't want to be one of the unwashed pot-smoking masses who "dropped out" of society.

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    1. I too think there is a catch to this funeral insurance thing but as we are too old anyway we won't be signing up.
      I am still with Karen though when she said you could prepay your funeral only to find, when the time came, that particular funeral parlour had gone broke.
      I was too young to be anything as back then we were either children or 'young people' I don't think teenagers existed at all.
      I can remember mum saying "the young people are going dancing tonight" so young people we were.

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