THE MOST TERRIFYING TERROR IS.....

Kurt Vonnegut explained that, "True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country!"

For those of us in Park Ridge, Illinois, this thought struck particularly close to home when one of our own Main South HS grads almost became president last year. That's right, Hillary, who grew up only a few blocks north of me. (She's still helping to run the country as Secretary of State). Such a sudden paradigm shift can be staggering. And, for any of us well over 50, common place.

Now when you think about it, all your life all the adult roles -- policemen, doctors, professors, news anchors, athletes -- are now being filled by folks as young or younger than you. That can really be terrifying. All your life you were looking up to these power players. You know, big, strong, imposing and obviously in sacred possession of the answers. But now upon closer examination these towering, faraway figures are -- well, gee, many of them are just kids, and you're the adult.

How did this happen?

Okay, we understand our Darwin. Life just keeps evolving. But totally without our permission...? The terror in this is that if they're suddenly younger than us, somehow that must mean we can no longer intuitively count on "things being taken care of." A little reluctantly, but inevitably, we've become caretakers too.

The bittersweet irony is that while we were being taken care of all those years, we couldn't wait to grow up. Being grown-up meant owning all that adult power unto ourselves. But a funny thing happened on the way to adulthood. Adulthood...! Back then, those imposing policemen, doctors, professors, news anchors and athletes never told us that with their power came responsibility.

There it is -- that irritating chink in the grown-up's armor. Having to be responsible with the power, the authority, the impact on others. No official manufacturers guidebook comes with adulthood. It's one of those passages -- like through a dark woods or up a misty peak -- where the traveler has to feel and find their way. Those who do becomes leaders...those who don't become losers. Either way, there's no turning back on the road. Or on the clock.

So here we are my fellow AARPers. Ready or not, now we're the adults. In a world much in need of authentic adults. But in case you notice many of the adults around you are often younger than you -- well, hey, this is the trip you've been waiting to take. The travel-brochures just never explained you had to take it as it comes...