{"id":209,"date":"2013-07-21T16:02:30","date_gmt":"2013-07-22T02:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/grumpyseniors.com\/?p=209"},"modified":"2013-09-05T19:56:15","modified_gmt":"2013-09-06T05:56:15","slug":"remember-what-abby-said","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/grumpyseniors.com\/?p=209","title":{"rendered":"Remember what Abby said"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s always nice to have something to look forward to.
\nI know some people my age that look forward to waking up each day.<\/p>\n

I’m not at that point and rather practice a Zen type of thing where “if you do,\u00a0you do – if you don’t, you don’t; meanwhile, what’s for dinner?”<\/p>\n

But then I saw something in this morning’s newspaper in between Tina Turner getting married and Google wanting to implant computer chips in people’s brains.<\/p>\n

It’s amazing what passes for news these days.<\/p>\n

There’s a new study that has been released.<\/p>\n

After studying thousands of people in 50 nations, it says life satisfaction peaks at 23 and 69.<\/p>\n

For people in their early twenties life starts looking good around 23 and anything is possible.<\/p>\n

\"i-cant-get-no-satisfaction-sized\"<\/a>Then the disappointments of life kick in as they find out everything is not possible.<\/p>\n

I really don’t remember that happening.
\nI usually got what I went after.<\/p>\n

One\u00a0has to wonder who they studied.
\nIt certainly wasn’t me.<\/p>\n

The report goes on to say\u00a0expectations continue to drop and hit their lowest point in people’s mid-fifties, when regrets over unrealized dreams are at their greatest.<\/p>\n

I don’t remember that either.
\nLike I say, I mostly got what I was after.<\/p>\n

Except for Barbara B, who got cold feet after we were engaged, ran home to Las Vegas and mailed her ring back 2 months later with a one-line note, “Enclosed please find\u00a0one engagement ring.”<\/p>\n

Broke my heart.
\nI thought she was the love of my life.<\/p>\n

Then about ten years ago I saw her picture on the Internet.
\nDid I get lucky.<\/p>\n

She had really let herself go.
\nLet’s chalk that one up as a success in the end.<\/p>\n

Back to the study – it says satisfaction levels start to rise again after 55 and peak once more at 69.<\/p>\n

The study wraps up by saying people in their fifties could learn from the elderly, who generally feel less regret, or maybe gave up.<\/p>\n

Okay, being elderly I\u00a0have this to share…<\/p>\n

Remember what Dear Abby said: Life is 10-percent what happens to you and 90-percent how your respond to it.<\/p>\n

I’m going to be 69 in six months and it’s great to have something to look forward to.<\/p>\n

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