{"id":7443,"date":"2025-03-30T03:15:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-30T10:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?p=7443"},"modified":"2025-08-10T19:33:41","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T02:33:41","slug":"turning-50-aarp-card-reaction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?p=7443","title":{"rendered":"The Day I Got Carded\u2026 by AARP"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Revised august 2025 &#8211; and still not ready for my AARP card<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Have you ever wondered why there\u2019s no warning when an AARP card arrives? At the very least, the&nbsp;<em>Jaws<\/em>&nbsp;theme should play, signaling you\u2019ve officially reached \u201csenior citizen\u201d territory.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My 50th birthday was already a shock, but the card pushed me over the edge. It arrived one sunny afternoon, gleaming in outdated plastic with my name stamped in gold letters \u2014 not the sleek metal of today\u2019s credit cards. No chip, either. Probably for the best. With my luck, it would call 911 if I dropped it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I stood at the mailbox, staring at it like it might detonate. \u201cHow do they even know how old I am?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My oldest came downstairs to check on me, took one look, and backed away with a grin he tried to hide. My husband, on the other hand, was thrilled. \u201cI\u2019ve been meaning to sign up with them,\u201d he said, already halfway to his iPad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy are you so excited to be old?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He rattled off the perks \u2014 discounted movie tickets, hotel deals, roadside assistance \u2014 like he\u2019d been studying for the AARP entrance exam. I left the room before he could start the PowerPoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The card\u2019s still in his dresser, waiting for the day I\u2019m ready. I\u2019m not there yet. I did get my convertible \u2014 not a Porsche, but it still makes me feel younger. Until it breaks down, and I have to call my husband\u2026 who will, of course, use the AARP roadside assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I thought turning 50 would come with more grace\u2014and a lot less plastic. But there it was, an AARP card in my mailbox, my name in gold letters and a not-so-subtle reminder I\u2019d hit the half-century mark. My husband embraced his senior perks. I\u2019m still processing the idea of being \u201ccard-carrying\u201d old. Convertible? Yes. AARP benefits? Not so fast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":111203969,"featured_media":7476,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[26400],"tags":[779323040,779323041,779323042,779323039,779323044,779323045,779323043,779323038],"class_list":["post-7443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sundayshorts","tag-aarp","tag-aging-gracefully","tag-life-at-50","tag-midlife-humor","tag-milestone-birthdays","tag-relatable-life-moments","tag-senior-perks","tag-turning-50"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7WyLB-1W3","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7806,"url":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?p=7806","url_meta":{"origin":7443,"position":0},"title":"A Little Box That Arrived Right On Time","author":"Tidbits and Whatnots","date":"April 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"This self-care journaling box from Archer & Olive was more than beautiful\u2014it was thoughtfully designed, deeply reflective, and full of intentional details. I share my honest first impression, favorite pieces, and why I\u2019ll be ordering again.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sunday Shorts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sunday Shorts","link":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?cat=26400"},"img":{"alt_text":"ARcher & Olive self care box","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_1139.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_1139.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_1139.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_1139.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_1139.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7288,"url":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?p=7288","url_meta":{"origin":7443,"position":1},"title":"A Little Sunshine in a Vase (Thanks, Love)","author":"Tidbits and Whatnots","date":"March 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\ud83d\udcdd\u00a0There\u2019s Something Quietly Magical about Yellow Tulips. They don\u2019t shout for attention. They don\u2019t need to. With their soft golden petals and fresh green stems, they bring a calm kind of joy\u2014the kind that arrives unannounced, settles in, and warms the room without asking for anything in return. \ud83d\udc90 A\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sunday Shorts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sunday Shorts","link":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?cat=26400"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7672,"url":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?p=7672","url_meta":{"origin":7443,"position":2},"title":"\ud83d\udec1 \u201cSelf-Care or Just Escapism?\u201d","author":"Tidbits and Whatnots","date":"April 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Self-care isn\u2019t always candles and bubble baths. Sometimes it\u2019s cleaning a messy bathroom\u2014or asking yourself the questions you\u2019ve been avoiding.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sunday Shorts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sunday Shorts","link":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?cat=26400"},"img":{"alt_text":"Self care. 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