It seems the older I get, the more I ramble. I tend to be far freer with my opinions…whether or not they are solicited.

It’s freeing to say what’s on one’s mind, and it lowers the blood pressure.

My words are filtered only by the manners my southern mama instilled in me; but rest assured, you won’t find any political or religious debates in my column, nor will there be any profanity…just my own brand of dry humor mixed with a few colloquialisms.

I was born and raised in Lexington. I brought my family to Nicholasville twenty-two years ago in search of a smaller close-knit community. I like that we’re just five miles from the Fayette County line; yet, I find the desire or need to leave Jessamine County diminishes more with every passing week. Locally owned and/or operated businesses tend to meet most of my needs.

In May of 2017, I retired from one of the most prominent thoroughbred horse farms in Jessamine County. While still working full-time in 2013, my first book was published.

I wrote a total of four books that year, and I was exhausted. By the time I retired my eighth book had been published and number nine was released just this week. 

Retirement, however, was a leap of faith. As many Baby Boomers, I was ill-prepared for my own longevity.

We tend to maintain the illusion that old age still describes our parent’s generation. We still see ourselves as we were in our youth, no matter what the reflection in the mirror may indicate otherwise. We try desperately to hang on to the belief that some benevolent, government agency will care for us when we are old.

The past nine months have been an awakening and a learning process. If you have also begun to navigate this glorious, yet daunting life stage I hope that we can share the good, the bad, and the scary, and learn from one another.

Whether you are a senior, the child, grandchild or friend of a senior, or another caregiver I encourage you to send me your tips for navigating the golden years, that I can pass along to our friends and neighbors.

I look forward to getting to know you and sharing my journey with you. I’d like to leave you with a positive thought at the end of each of my columns.

TIP FOR FEBRUARY: Old age ain’t for sissies. You’ve made it this far; therefore, you’re stronger than you think and smarter than most around you realize. Don’t allow anyone to categorize you as “less than,” simply because you’re a senior.

The title “Senior Citizen” commands respect and you should be proud of your achievement.

Anne Carmichael is a lifestyle columnist for The Jessamine Journal. She can be reached at acarmichael07@gmail.com.