I think there are lots and lots of people like me in my age group and older who live on fixed incomes. It is actually a satisfactory way to live. I used to think it wasn't, but out here in the mid-west in this environment it is okay. We are older folks wanting a peaceful life. Perspective on life on the down side of the life mountain isn't looking downward as I imagined it would be. It is more of a graceful descent to the inevitable and a different kind of adventure. The other side of the life mountain, the young years, is much harder, struggling to get ahead, working and saving for a future that may or may not turn out as planned. Some people are so focused on this side of the life mountain that they pressure family and friends around them to have the same goals and ambitions. As a younger woman, I was persuaded that my value as a human being depended on how much money I made and what position I attained in society.
I'm not quite into the "Golden Years", but I hear them knocking on my door. In this time of my life I see clearly and listen attentively with an authority to discern my own fate and my preferred lifestyle. The simple things in life are not free as in the old expression. The things I hold dear are not luxurious or self-indulgent but there is a cost. My time. My effort. And in some instances, my heart. I give willingly and lovingly of myself and my resources to maintain my wholesome lifestyle.
Wheeee, this is a glorious ride on the down side. For the next 20, 30 or maybe even 40 years of my life I want to remain hopeful and functional and valuable.
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