When you are over 70 you avoid mirrors and bright lights. And taking a selfie in the glaring sun -- or so I discovered recently when vacationing in Budapest. I thought I would get a shot of the Pest side of the Danube with me in the foreground, but what I snapped was a face full of wrinkles.
The lesson here is that we are all getting older and sometimes old is closer than you think.
Perhaps that's why I look at Kent County's Senior Millage a little differently this year. I always thought it was something nice for other people. The little old ladies who don't have anyone to take care of them, who might need meals delivered or transportation to the doctor. Somebody to build a wheelchair ramp or take over mowing the lawn just so they can stay in their home.
I know it's a benefit to the whole community for seniors to stay in their homes. They are much happier and it is less expensive for the taxpayer than providing nursing homes for everyone. But I never imagined that someday I might be that little old lady in need.
Yes, when the time comes I hope to count on my son and my savings for most of the services I will need, but what about respite care when my caregiver needs time off? And who do we call for information?
The Kent County Senior Millage, which is up for renewal on the Aug. 2 ballot, helps fund more than 50 services we have come to take for granted. Like RideLink, getting people to doctor's appointments and grocery stores after they are no longer able to drive. Senior Centers for social activities and adult day care when a little more supervision is needed. Not to mention Meals on Wheels, recreational therapy and mobility equipment.
This year the senior millage will provide about $13 million for services to 22,000 clients. The Area Agency on Aging coordinates with dozens of community partners like Elders Helpers, Alzheimers' Association and Senior Neighbors to make sure the most critical needs are covered without wasteful redundancy.
The millage request remains the same as it was in 2014: half a mil. That translates to a tax of about $100 a year for a $200,000 home.
I voted for the millage on my absentee ballot, not because I am wrinkling up faster than a wad of foil but because it's the smart thing to do.
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