Old Age, does it get better?

Wow what an interesting 2 chapters! I'm still not sure if getting old is better or not better for many reasons and the authors seem to do a little more doom and gloom. Yes getting old adds one more wrinkle on your head and one more grey hair (if your a mom or have a mom it's not old age that makes you turn grey its the stress from your "darling" kids over the years) but there are other things about getting old to.
    The demographics are very interesting. They had some good charts to show it but anyone who reads all the news stories knows what his happening. We have all the baby boomers retiring thus putting the strain on the health care, social security, and pension systems. It's already started! This is by far the largest group of people retiring ever and sorry to say it's even a smaller group that is shouldering the tax burden to pay for it all. But as I said we already know about this and it's not the prettiest picture that is being painted. Hey we knew it was coming and yet did nothing to prepare for it (congress just gives us stupid excuses that we are suppose to buy while they sit pretty with their money and cushy jobs).
   So almost everyone has at least one set or just a grandparent. I am graced with just 3 grandparents right now. One set and my grandmother on my fathers side. Reading in the book that most widowers follow their spouses to the grave shortly after the first passes, to me isn't true. I swear my grandmother is to stubborn to pass and she won't until her great grandchildren are well into their teens. While my other set of grandparents are just hilarious. I always want to know if I'm going to turn out like them or not. I can see the love for each other but it's the great way that they show it.... or really don't show it. They nit pick at every little thing and my grandfather loves it. He turns it into a game on how well he can make his wife mad and how fast. Sadly though we as a family are dealing with Alzheimers with him. Currently he is in the very early stages of it and I find it more fun to talk to him than ever before! I find it more of a gift than a curse right now, as I get to hear more stories from his childhood and while we was growing up than ever before! My grandfather is a very guarded person and really won't tell much of his days in the army or what he considers bad times but now I get to hear a story every now and then and I simply enjoy it.
   One draw back in the text that I didn't like it only gave about a half page to elder abuse. I find this something we as a country have a serious problem with. There is tons of information out there on it and more statistics to go with it as well. I wish they devoted a little bit more to this problem than what they did.