Not every retiree is drawn to the buffet line at 4 p.m. for the 10% discount.  That may very well be the last place I want to be.  I prefer to eat a little later and to be waited on.  Probably not the most economical way to treat my taste buds, but I also like seeing a few non-seniors in the crowd.  I’m fortunate to not have to carry an oxygen tank, a cane, or a walker so I shouldn’t have to feel guilty about my mobility and good health.  If my circumstances change, then so will my appetite.

The interesting thing about taste buds is that they supposedly change every seven years.  Foods that you might not have liked in childhood or even a decade ago will probably taste differently today.  It’s a good reason to try new recipes and new combinations on the menu, rather than stick to the old standards.  Plus, it can make any dining experience much more interesting.  For example, I didn’t like cherry pie or anything associated with cherries for years.  Now, it’s one of my favorites, especially ala mode, and George Washington, once again a presidential favorite.

The thought of eating with wooden teeth isn’t too appetizing.  Or with no teeth, for that matter.  Also, a lot of work goes into preparing a cherry pie, especially if you don’t have a cherry pitter.  Otherwise, you have to use the twist or poke method.  Paper clips and Chopsticks are good pokers.  I cannot tell a lie – I “chopsticked” that cherry.  The best cherries, however, are lined up all in a row on a “Wild Cherry” slot machine.   Jack Pot!  Some people think that anything tastes better with a “cherry on top.”  I don’t like the way the way they tend to bleed red into my chocolate milk shakes.  Finally,  some people feel they are superior if they can knot a cherry stem with their tongue.  Is that sexy?

The human tongue has 2,000 to 8,000 taste buds.  I’m surprised I even have 2,000.  My wife has 8,000, much like a sommelier.  She’s quick to point out if something doesn’t taste right.  I tend to like anything and am rarely critical of food even if it’s badly charred.  I’ve lived through nine taste bud changes, but none of them have been eventful.  Perhaps she should consider taste bad reduction surgery.

Bad taste is not just confined to the taste buds.  It’s in the ways that we decorate our homes, the clothing we wear, and the friends that we make.  I showed some bad taste in picking friends earlier in life, but I’m pretty happy with the ones I have now.  I’ve seen the “Jungle Room” at Graceland, and have yet to run across anyone’s living room as tacky as that.  Although, plastic covers on the furniture have always disturbed me.  There should probably be fashion police!  Wearing stripes and plaids at the same time rarely works, and sandals were designed to be worn without socks.  Sometimes, as senior citizens, we forget about these fashion basics.  There’s a definite attitude of not caring what others think, but please don’t wear shorts, sandals, and black socks out in public – I beg of you!

Whether you have good taste, bad taste, or no taste at all, I’m starting to get sensitive about “old people” jokes.  I feel a strong sense of responsibility about changing the stereotypes that currently exist about the retired.  I really don’t feel that much different than I did a decade ago, with the exception of the fact that I no longer work.  I’m in a different club now – that’s all – and it’s a club that many others would like to join.  Unfortunately, membership is age related, but the benefits are very appetizing.