Richard Froese
Growing old is something many people strive for in life. It can be rewarding for those who have worked hard all their adult lives.
Many look forward to retiring and getting government benefits when they become a senior.
They may also have more time to do things they couldn’t do when they were limited to time during their working years or had children living at home.
It’s a new season in life when a person becomes a senior.
So, when is a senior a senior?
The age of a senior seems to be a grey area – or make that a grey-haired area.
A Grey area by definition is a situation or standard that is not clear or where rules are not known.
By standard definition, a person becomes a senior at 65 years of age when they qualify to receive a government pension they have worked so hard to achieve.
But, go to a store or become a member of an organization and the age of a senior can be all over the map – anywhere from 50 to 65.
Most corporate retail stores have discounts for seniors. Some have seniors’ day for shopping.
So, when shoppers are ready to buy their items at the checkout counter, the clerk will always ask, “Are you a senior?
How is a customer to respond when the age is not stated?
One store has the age of senior at 65, another at 60, another at 55.
To join the High Prairie Golden Age Club, a person can be 50 years-old to be eligible.
Yet the age is lower when people qualify to compete in the Alberta 55-Plus Games.
Isn’t that some sort of discrimination when the age of a senior is not standard?
Provincial and federal governments have standards when people are no longer minors and become adults, when people can drive a vehicle, legally consume and buy alcohol.
So why do governments not have standard age for a person to officially become a senior citizen and get treated equally in all stores and businesses? Makes you wonder.
Is it really fair – or not – if a 60-year-old person gets a discount at one store yet not at another business in the same retail sector?
It sounds like a matter of a senior being considered under-age for a seniors’ discount.
Seniors – and all people – just want to be treated the same and not face discrimination. They deserve to be respected and given equal treatment.
Some people may suggest the different age of a senior for business is a matter of competition in the marketplace.
Seniors matter.
It’s just food for thought.
Everyone appreciates the discounts and saving money, especially with inflation and since the price of food, fuel and costs of living have skyrocketed in the past few years.
Despite the differences in the age of seniors at many retail stores, consumers appreciate any time they can afford to pay for products and services.