All it takes to become a senior citizen is to keep living and then one day you get branded as a senior citizen even if you don’t think you are.

Some say 55 is the beginning of being a senior citizen. Other suggest that going on Medicare or collecting Social Security are definite signs you’ve crossed over from adult to senior citizen.

Whatever the definition and whatever the age, becoming a senior citizen is a surprise event even if you knew it was coming for 30 or 40 years.

Age sneaks up on you.

At age 50 I never felt 50. At age 60 I felt about the same as age 50 which felt much like 40. At age 70 I felt like 100. I don’t know anyone nearing 100 that moves with alacrity, and neither do I.

ALS is something akin to becoming a senior citizen but not having to put in the decades of effort to get there. Fortunately, I lived a long life in relatively good health but senior citizenship still has a tendency to sneak up on you.

My father remained in good health until nearly 90. My grandmother was mobile and active as she neared 100 and lived for years afterwards. Most grandparents lived well into their late 80s and beyond.

In two years I’ve gone from healthy baby boomer to aging senior citizen whose citizenship is about to come to an end.

Life moves much faster than we think while we’re living it.