Older might mean wiser

Things move slowly in Naples, Fla. Populated for the most part by retirees, senior citizens and families with young children, the atmosphere of Naples is anything but the typical spring break getaway for most college students. But even though it's not the typical party spot, it is where my sister and I decided we would we go for our break.\nNaples is like an enlarged retirement center spread out over the city. The speed limits are between 25 and 35 mph in most places, and the streets are lined with Cadillacs and Lincolns. The slow pace, lack of night life and overall complete absence of young people became frustrating at times, but what could I expect? It's Naples, not Panama City.\nWhat amazed me the most about Naples was the general attitude of the people living and vacationing there. Everyone was friendly and nice. They said hello to me when they passed by on the street and seemed to enjoy the company and presence of young people as well. They were welcoming and appreciative when young people were around.\nMen and women often stopped to talk with me and my sister, asking us where we were from or if we were having a nice time. We were treated as though we were everyone's grandchildren. One gentleman even asked us a series of jokes, obviously getting a kick out of his new, younger audience. His jokes included the following classics: How do you make Holy water holy? Boil the hell out of it. What kind of coffee did they drink on the Titanic? Sanken. The man, smiling as he told us he got them off the Internet, made me laugh at the idea of actually telling anyone my age these jokes. If anything, spending time in Naples showed me there was a different side to life -- one that didn't have to be full of stress and chaos. \nYou have to appreciate older people. They are cute and innocent in their own way. Many enjoy talking about the weather, the news and other trivial things that happened during the day. It makes for a nice change from the gossip and rumors that can circulate among young people today. \nMaybe older people posess the secret to happiness. My grandparents have been happily married for more than 50 years and still spend a huge portion of their day together in Naples. They spend their time golfing, going out to eat or running errands. \nWatching couples interact in Naples makes me feel like the current divorce statistics aren't accurate. \nMy grandparents' nightly routine of playing gin rummy "Hollywood style," as my grandpa calls it, doesn't seem to get old for them. They seem very content simply spending time together, interacting and playfully going back and forth over who will win that night's game. \nIt is possible that older people have discovered the long-sought after secret to happiness and contentment, just because they have already experienced so much in their lives. To an older person, nothing seems too big or too overwhelming to handle by now.\nThe simple act of growing old is an experience in itself, and although I don't necessarily look forward to it, I have realized that as I get older I begin to appreciate things I didn't in the past. Maybe that is the secret.