Hooray, I am 65 years old, a certified senior citizen in Taiwan! This is my senior citizen card! (Kiss the card!) Yes, I made it! I can enjoy free bus rides now, I can take the MRT, bullet train, domestic airplane for half price, I can go to the movies, concert for half price, and I can visit the Palace Museum, Taipei City Zoo for free!
Gosh, it feels so good to become a senior citizen in Taiwan! Everytime, I get on and off the bus, I hear BeepBeepBeep, three lovely beeping sounds! It is the victory signal when a senior citizen is getting on and off the bus.
Oh, here comes my bus! BeepBeepBeep!
Bus Driver: Excuse me, Ma’am! May I see your ID card?
Me: Yes, with pleasure! Here it is!
Bus Driver: Sorry! You look 55!
Me: Thank you for your compliment. You made my day!
The moment I get on MRT, young people stand up and give away their seats to me right away.
Me: Thank you! It is very polite of you to respect the elderly.
Passenger: No thanks, I’m getting off at the next stop. By the way, you don’t look old, and you have a nice body!
Me: Do I? Thank you! You made my day!
65 years of age is a milestone for human beings. We are classfied seniors. We can lead a life of leisure without alarm clocks, meetings, conference calls, and commuting in traffic! Everyday is Sunday. We are rich, with a lot of time. We are at loss, not knowing what to do with so much free time. 65 years of age is a milestone for us to become our own boss, the boss of our own body, mind, and relationship with others!
Firstly, Body! Hold your hands, feel your body! As we age, our muscle mass deteriorates. Stronger muscle strength means better cognitive performance. The decline in cognitive function and the loss of muscle strength place elderly at increased risk of personal injury, poor mobility, and loss of independence. Who would want a bed-ridden longivity, I don't! Do you? Find an outdoor interest! Do house chaos, grocery shopping! Move your body three hours a day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, one in the evening.
Secondly, Mind. Sound Body and sound mind! Learn new tricks, singing, dancing cha cha cha! An old dog can't learn new tricks, but a senior citizen can. Play new games, mahjong, chess, on-line games! Learn new languages, Japanese, Korean, Russian. Feel engaged, feel energized. Be mentally stimulated three hours a day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, one in the evening!
Thirdly, relationships with others. Join local volunteer groups to give help to others, to inspire others to help others. Feel good about helping others! In helping others, we help ourselves, whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us. Interact with people three hours a day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, one in the evening.
Ageing 123, body, mind, relationships with others, three hours each? Nine hours a day? Don't worry! We can kill three birds with one stone! Doing laundry while studying Russion, walking while listening to the music!
Fellow seniors, we have come a long way, to become certified senior citizens. We are living models of growth and maturity! Let's stay physically and mentally healthy to enjoy life. Oh, I need to get off my bus! BeepBeepBeep (victory sign), Contest Master!
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