Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Insult to Injury

Not only was I not ready to hit 50, admittedly for reasons of overt vanity, but I also had the prospect of the inevitable first AARP mailing looming on the horizon. Oh sure, I joked about my angst in that regard and laughingly brushed aside the vindictive taunts of those my senior, but I had more than the spectre of my own mortality to account for the dread I experienced. I knew the thing was coming and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Once I came to terms with conceit and learned that resistance to life "over the hill" was an exercise in abject and senseless futility, I reasoned that my first "invitation" packet from AARP would arrive shortly after my 50th birthday, at which point I resolved to immediately toss it in the trash. That was because I had earlier learned that AARP did not share my personal convictions and values and that they were yet another liberal organization formed to make a profit off of their members, which is fine, but also to lure those with opposing virtues into the same trap.

Then they reminded me of both my limited longevity and my disdain for being manipulated, while simultaneously adding insult to injury by sending my packet a full two months early. When it arrived, it dawned on me that perhaps they were attempting a fundraising drive for the Presidential elections of that year. Still, it took a full two years for me to make the decision to write a post eerily similar to a commercial endorsement, something I had long ago vowed never to do, regardless of the risk of remaining in relative obscurity.

Today, however, while perusing the site of a fellow blogger and someone who has become a friend, I learned of the existence of competitors to AARP. Some may wonder why I never actively sought out an alternative, and I can only attribute that negligence to my stubbornness in the belief that I was still "young" enough not to worry.

I was looking over The Edisto Joe Outlook and noticed an advertisement for AMAC (Association of Mature American Citizens). Conceived in 2006 and launched the following year, AMAC has a website that explains the groups' mission statement and what they have to offer to seniors who don't subscribe to the liberal agenda run amok in this country. It could very well be that many of those who came before me know this site already, so I appeal to my contemporaries who may be as new to the market as me.

Odds are that if you're reading this, you are Conservative and, as such, will relish the prospect of enjoying the same benefits as your liberal counterparts without having to contribute to the same agenda. While I must say that commercial endorsements were never the intent of this site, I also have to point out that when I can aid in the benefit of my compatriots, I have no reservations in doing so.

I am not suggesting any purchases here, but only the endeavor of the reader to research on your own the information I have provided. Thanks to Edisto Joe for making me aware.

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2 comments:

SleeplessByTheSea said...

I wasn't aware of the alternatives, either. I'll check them out. However, I'm not all that hep about any organization 'guiding' my thoughts. I'm a firm believer in self-dependence. And that's probably why I'll never get to the retired state. I know for sure that I won't be depending on the government to 'cush' my senior years. They don't have anyone's best interest at heart. Don't believe that? Just look at those pitiful souls they've been propping up all these years.

Unknown said...

Sleeps, I don't consider joining such an organization as having my thoughts "guided" but, rather, as getting some benefits as a member and aiding in the propagation of values with which I agree.