ELEVEN years ago, I wrote in this corner how I turned from happy to sad while queuing to pay my basket of goods to a grocery cashier. Since I was at the tail-end of the line, I wondered whether there was a shorter lane to move over.
Out of the blue, a blue-uniformed usherette sidled up to me, saying, “This way, Sir. It’s the right lane for you.” She was pointing at the “senior citizens’ lane,” but that did not make me happy.
I felt bad while moving hesitantly to the pointed lane. The lady had deflated my ego.
“Do I look like a senior citizen?” I was about to ask her but checked my tongue. I had not yet turned 60 in the year 2008; I was only 58.
On second thought, I thanked her for saving me from the “agony” of waiting in line.
Now 69, I see it as a privilege to be led to a senior citizens’ lane; it usually saves me precious time and fatigue.
There was a time when I was tailing a dozen other bank clients lining up at the counter.
A security guard asked for my senior citizen’s ID. If I had it, he offered, I could right away step up to one of the tellers. I did as requested.
He took my ID to the nearest teller, who readily turned my check into cash. Wow, I thought, the younger folks in line were eyeing me with envy.
I have since then accepted old age as an inevitable stage with an advantage. I am a beneficiary of Republic Act No. 9257. My senior citizen’s ID entitles me to the following benefits: free medical, dental, diagnostic and laboratory services in all government facilities; 20 percent discount on the same services in private facilities; 20 percent discount on VAT-free prescribed medicine; 20 percent discount on VAT-free meals in hotels and restaurants; 20 percent discount on fare on air, land or sea transportation; and 20 percent discount on funeral and burial services, but hopefully not in the near future.
If there’s one privilege I wish to avoid, it’s the medicine discount. In spite of the Cheaper Medicines Law that does not live up to its promise, I would rather not get sick than buy medicines. Prevention is always better than cure. I recall that my late parents had exhausted their retirement money in expensive hospitalizations.
And so eating in a pre-chosen restaurant has become an “addiction” aimed at boosting my health, More often than not, I order fish and vegetable dishes. It could be cheaper than cooking – damn the prohibitive cost of cooking gas – and eating at home.
Nowadays, it’s hard to find a fast-food restaurant serving breakfast at below P50. But I recently found out that I could still eat in one at P36.43. This was when I got into a burger joint and ordered sausage-and-egg sandwich plus coffee. The winsome lady punched the said amount after excluding the 12 percent VAT and deducting the 20 percent discount. Sans a senior-C ID, I would have paid its tag price of P51. After all, I still work for a living and don’t intend to retire from my writing profession as long as possible.
If the younger men and women of this generation do not envy us, it’s probably because they have the advantage of longer life expectancy for leverage.
But of course, we likewise hope and pray for a longer, healthy life before checking into Kingdom Come to report to the Creator. (hvego31@gmail.com/PN)
