"Senior" Citizenship

Arguably the greatest milestone in every life, is reaching the status of full, or senior citizenship -- when one is entitled to all the benefits of living in their society.

Until then, one has to struggle largely on one's own -- feeling "less entitled" -- until the day one reaches the magical age of 65 -- when the entire machinery of that society, is now dedicated to helping one out.

Early benefits can be obtained at 62 -- or even earlier, if one is judged "disabled," but no questions asked entitlement, begins for most at 65 -- when Medicare also kicks in.  Then the great equalizer is how healthy one is -- all things being equal, because at that point, one will be as equal to anyone else -- with the machinery of the government and society, now on one's side.

For most, that means not being completely dependent on the vagaries of the market and "other people's opinion," to largely determine what one's choices will be.  At that point, nobody cares -- if one conforms or not to the tyranny of opinion -- because they'll continue to receive their full entitlements, whether anybody approves of them -- or not.

That's a huge advantage to have -- that most will not feel fully entitled to, until they reach the milestone of full (senior) citizenship -- with all the seniority rights, of no longer being held to account -- to anyone else, but themselves -- at which point, accounting to oneself, was never so important -- leaving woefully too many, totally unprepared -- for that responsibility and accountability in their lives.  That is also one's greatest opportunity -- to choose the life one wishes to live, or more accurately, is the karma of one's life -- up to that point.

The person one is then, is the summation (result) of the life one has lived -- that earns them their entitlement for life beyond.  Obviously, one hopes to embark on that stage of life, in the best condition of one's life -- rather than reaching the point of despair that life cannot get any better, but only worse, from here on out.  Those latter, have failed to prepare themselves for the fulfillment of their lives as the golden years of their existences.

That period should not be the beginning of decline and deterioration -- if one has learned all their lessons correctly.  Of course, many will have learned all the wrong things in life -- and done them, to their detriment.  But life doesn't have to be that way -- in the actualizing world of full functionality -- rather than the old paradigm of dysfunction, still acceptable to many, as the only way life can be -- and particularly, end.

Life doesn't have to be -- and end that way -- short, nasty and brutish anymore.  It can have whatever ending, and meaning, one can imagine it being -- and living that way.  That means living healthy and intelligently -- as the way to ensure one's best health and well-being, and no longer just leaving it to chance, and the arbitrariness of others -- to determine for all, how best everyone should live their lives.  Everyone, as a "senior" citizen, has a right to determine that for themselves.

But many, will not know how to rise to that challenge and golden opportunity in their lives,  because they've never prepared themselves for that possibility -- and the possibilities, but have only done what they were told -- for the benefit of those telling them what to do.  So doing what is for their own benefit, is something that many have never been taught to do, discovered for themselves -- or even thought possible.  That's how the world fundamentally changes -- upon reaching senior citizenship status -- that even people who have thought they've prepared for that stage of their lives, have largely missed the point -- thinking it is simply the continuation of life as usual, but one is older, and less capable -- rather than rightly, as being at their most powerful.

At that point, money is not as important a differentiator as the vested interests would have us continue to believe -- because what is even more important at that point in life, is all the knowledge, information and experience one has learned in their lives -- that leverages any amount of money.  "A fool and their money is quickly parted," has been known for ages.  But a wise and intelligent person, will find a way -- no matter how daunting the situation may first seem -- because that is their learned response to a problem -- to solve it, rather than  accept and give into the problem as their inescapable reality.

The solution may not come immediately, or in the next few days -- but they will continue to work on it -- all their life if need be, until they resolve it.  That is the meaning and purpose of their lives that they have dedicated themselves to -- that persists long after they have stopped working at any job -- simply for the money, power, status, etc.  They have created a meaning for their life -- which keeps them going far more compellingly and powerfully than the usual incentives -- that when they stop for most, leads to their disintegration and deterioration -- because that motivating force that was the vitality of their existence, has disappeared.

So while one is still young, or more importantly, at any age -- one is preparing oneself for the best life one can envision -- and manifest.  It is not simply life as we have known it in the past -- but a whole new way of being that has not existed before.  That is the work of man -- and all humankind -- to be all that one can be.