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A good friend of mine – he’s 56 – posseses an odd habit. Whenever he gets a solicitation letter from Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons, he adopts a minor tizzy. The mission with this association is always to benefit older persons in a number of ways, while also serving as a robust lobbying force.

I’m not a big fan of lobbyists generally speaking – even when they have my best interests in your mind – because I think the entire lobbying thing is one of the reasons why our government is broken as badly since it is. So this isn’t an ad or a suggestion to participate this association. But it is an important part of my story, so I’ll continue.

Back to my friend – let’s call him up Ken. When Ken receives a mailer from this group, like I said, he gets visibly upset. He invariably tears the envelope to shreds, without even opening it. This entire action is completed with a little more drama, a bit more emotion, than the usual would typically use to remove what we termed as junk mail.

The first time I witnessed this little act, I used to be more than a little surprised. "What was that all about?" I asked him. "It was just junk mail, right?"

Ken wrinkled his brow and shook his head. "Yeah, from that retired persons group," he snarled. "I am not retired. I’m 56. I own a business and run 15 miles per week. I work out everyday. I’m healthy being an ox. I would not need to join a business for elderly retired persons."

Ok, so perhaps their name is a touch misleading – the Association for that Advancement of Retired Persons is actually for anyone over 50. But I found Ken’s point interesting, for reasons past the organization’s name.

Ken’s point – and it’s really a valid one – is the fact that he’s not able to be defined as a senior citizen, and definitely not as a retired one. Neither are we.

I have another friend, let’s call her Betty. She went to the movies with her daughter that is 24. When the child stepped for the ticket window – the outing was her treat – she said, "One adult, one senior." Check in clerk issued both tickets, no questions asked.

Betty was appalled. "I’m 51," she said. "Senior discounts are suitable for people 65 as well as over."

"Don’t worry, Mom, they never check," her daughter replied. "And every buck adds up."

Betty obviously now knows that she can pass for being 65, 13 years ahead of time. Ouch.

My point though is. Apart from qualifying for any retirement association and movie discounts, this on your driving license is meaningless. You are as old while you feel. In fact, and even more importantly, you might be as old as you let yourself feel.

Granted, our knees may be a bit creaky in the mornings, and often we might exhaust steam quicker than we did 20 years ago. Try not to let little things like that change your overall understanding of who you are – or your skill.

I really believe that to be young, you need to think young.

What year was I born, really? It’s time to start great deal of thought. You might find that you are a lot younger than your license says you might be.