As a Baby Boomer one of my fondest memories is when I got my driver's license and set out on my first solo highway drive.
What freedom.
No one to supervise my driving.
Just me, my Dad's car, and the open road.
The 60 speed signs flashed past fast as I accelerated towards the nearest town 30 miles away.
I remember thinking that I had to be sure to do at least 60.
That was my minimum speed. I learned from older friends years earlier the object was to do as many mph over 60 as you could.
Of course it wasn't long before the cops pulled me over and asked me if I knew was doing over 60 and told me - whilst writing me a ticket - that it was against the law.
From that day on I faced a new task - how to keep 60 as my minimum and not get booked.
That was more than 40 years ago and now 60 has a new significance.
It's soon to be my age.
Given the story of Noah and how they lived to 120 in his day, I have decided to keep 60 as my minimum and treat the coming years as ones of great expectation of good things to come.
After all many people are living beyond 100. Just yesterday I saw a 91 heralded as the world's oldest windsurfer.
I no longer have to deal with 60 mph being against the law.
I have a more serious problem.
Community pressure. The pressure to conform to the expectation that 60 is the end of life expectancy.
The "cops" don't wear uniforms these days but they are vigilant in reminding you that you
can't go beyond 60. They take the form of family and friends giving details of the latest retirement village.
They can also be found in TV ads and websites clamoring for the over 50's to take out special insurance policies.
They can be found in Church where the well meaning no longer ask you what you do for a living because they think your too old to be making one.
You and I both have to be vigilant in deciding that - at least when it comes to age - that 60 is still the minimum.
Baby Boomers of the world let us unite to remind ourselves that there is no law against thriving beyond 60.
Always be young at heart , positive in your thoughts, and encouraging of others in your conversation and you will succeed.
