Wednesday, April 3, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Of a certain AGE Sue Stafford Columnist Being vulnerable How do you know when you9re old? When the person looking back at you in the mirror has wrinkles and gray hair? Maybe a medical con- dition signals the advance- ment of years 4 arthritis, forgetfulness, joint replace- ment or repair, failing eye- sight, or congestive heart failure. You may catch yourself reading the obituaries more frequently and more thor- oughly. Funerals and memo- rial services for friends and family become a more fre- quent occurrence. Maybe you9ve taken to wearing more purple and consider- ing that red hat in the store window. Whatever the clues have been for you, it9s usually a gradual process in which you morph over time from that energetic, motivated, busy 50-year old to a mellower, more thoughtful version of yourself, who remembers with fondness those long- time friends who