I’m old. The calendar tells me so. So do phone calls selling braces, medical insurance, life line, hearing aids, etc. Why don’t I feel old?

I live in Northern Michigan and I am retired. There are a bunch of us out there like this. We love our families but insist on our independence.

It’s a familiar story for people who have been raised in the north country. Young people often headed downstate to find jobs and to get away from a place where everyone knows and is expected to know everyone’s business. After a few years of expressway rush hours and half-hour waits in lines, many yearned to return, but only a fortunate few were able to do so.

By living here our souls can be restored by looking out the window, the sun over the water, the moon over the trees, the deer in the yard, the geese pooping on the sidewalks. All is there for us to take in.

Living alone, I could be lonely, but I firmly believe “Life is an adventure — ride it for all it’s worth.” I don’t have time for loneliness.

We have so many opportunities in this northern area. We are needed. Volunteer programs could not exist without our help. We have learned skills and we have wisdom to share.

My introduction to my first A.L.L. (Association of Lifelong Learners) program became an addiction. The side effect was friends and the use of my brain learning something new.

We are a majority in this northern area. We need to use the power of many to improve all lives by being active in churches, politics, education and pleasure in life.

Don’t let the calendar convince you that you are too old to do!