How old is “old”? We Americans set the term at 65 as the benchmark for senior citizens, and in general we dislike them as much as Shakespeare did in his comment on the Seven Stages of Man, describing him eloquently in the most unpleasant terms, from their thinning and graying hair to their transparent skin and loss of memory, for starters.

And deeply entrenched in public consciousness, the sentiment rages among others, like author Lillian Rubin, who claimed that “Getting old sucks.”

Though the attitude toward getting old varies with the times and places, it is generally set expectedly between the expanse of 48 to 82.

Oddly, sentimental older Americans enjoy remembering the past – as for example, when all girls had to wear ugly gym uniforms or when it took at least three minutes for the TV to warm up. They recall when a quarter was a decent allowance, when they might reach into a muddy gutter for a dropped penny, and when laundry detergent had free glasses, towels or dishes hidden inside the box.

They remember when they recalled that a 57 Chevy was everyone’s dream car or the fact that no one ever asked where the keys were because they were always in the car, in the ignition, and the doors were never locked. And they remember when being sent to the principal’s office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited the poor kid at home.

Basically, we were in fear for our lives — not from a drive-by shooting, drugs, gangs, etc. — our parents were a much bigger threat! But wasn’t it fun to recall when your mother wore nylons that came in two pieces? Or what a privilege it was when your parents took you out to dinner at a real restaurant?

How many of these do you remember: Candy cigarettes? Restaurants with table side jukeboxes? Newsreels before the movie? Peashooters? Howdy Doody? Green stamps? 78 RPM records? When war was a card game? When weekend TV cartoons never had commercials? When water balloons were the ultimate weapons? Or the worst embarrassment was when being picked last for a team?

Not only do memories help recreate the life of an old timer, but there are certain perks for having hit the mid-60 mark.

For example: Kidnappers are not interested in you. In a hostage situation, you are likely to be freed first. There is nothing left to learn the hard way. Things you buy now won’t wear out. You enjoy hearing about other people’s medical procedures. You can sing along with elevator music. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either. And your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.

So disregard what the nasty whippersnappers say or think, be proud that you passed them up, ignore the worst of times past or present, and enjoy every moment of the hidden goodies surely yet to come.