AARP....Thoughts?

[Crankin]

Shooting Star, I will not get "over it" anytime soon. I am heading toward 55 and I still find I have more in common with younger people. Except for my cycling friends, all of my other same age friends are fat, unfit, and fairly uninteresting. I mean, they are nice people I've known for many years, but we seem to have less and less in common as the years go by. They seem to think that being older means that these negative changes are inevitable. Both myself and my husband have our share of age related health issues and we do not let these things stop us from being active.
I don't want to be 20 again, or even 35, but you will never find me in an age segregated community. I view AARP in the same way. Maybe I'll feel differently when I'm 65 or 70, but I doubt it.

[emily_in_nc]

Well, I'm on the other side of the fence here. I'm not 50 yet, but my husband is, and we've been members of AARP since he turned 50 back in 2003. (If your spouse is a member, you're a member.) I enjoy their magazine even at my age, and they do lobby to help their demographic with health-care issues, Rx prices, nursing home reform, tax issues, and the like. I don't think I've ever used their discounts, except maybe once on a rental car; that's not what I'm there for. I just like the mags and think they do good work for the "mature" segment of the population.

Emily

[OakLeaf]

I figured someone else would mention the thousands of former AARP members who publicly tore up their membership cards and resigned their membership after the AARP strongly supported the Medicare prescription drug scam.

But since no one has, I'll throw it out there...

Here's an article about their positions on health care issues. I wasn't aware of most of the history that this story details - in fact it's pretty surprising to me. I don't really know what lobbying positions the AARP takes on other things, but this one alone is enough that I wouldn't consider membership unless there's a sea change in their philosophy.

[tulip]

Great hotel discounts, for one! Really alot off. My SO is a member, and we take advantage of their discounts. Other than that, though, I can't really comment.

I don't let a number get in the way of life, but I'll take the discount.