I met Rose Bickman through a friend of mine who runs a very successful bed and breakfast place called The Hideaway, in Connecticut. Rose is a 76-year-old retired bank employee. She's been living in a senior hi-rise building in New York City since her husband of 46 years passed away. Rose does not agree with what she calls the rocking-chair mentality and lifestyle that some of society slots people into once they pass the age of 55. I've met quite a few retirees who have different views on aging and dealing with the many situations we face in this changing world. Rose's attitude impressed me so much that I decided to give her ideas a voice, as well as those of some of her friends, and many of the women I interviewed briefly at random. There are downsides to any life for sure, Rose says. Like living alone and having no one to laugh with when you're watching Shrek, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, or Shark Tale. And getting older is never easy, because with the aging comes aches and pains, both physical and mental; Loved ones and friends die and leave you behind to face life alone; Some of society ostracizes you in many ways by lumping you in the elderly/rocking-chair slot, and worst of all, something called CRS (Can't Remember Shit) begins to take over your life. Rose and her friends, and the women I talked to, say there are enough negatives to aging to fill up your days and nights, if you concentrate on them. But when you weigh all the downsides and negatives to life after 70 against the upsides and positives, you can find that you actually have the advantage in many ways. And you'll find that there are so many more upsides and positives, you'll forget about the negatives and downsides. Besides, as Rose says, there are always enough other people to fill the seats on the negative train. And the expression "Every cloud has a silver lining" is exactly what your senior years are. No matter how dark the lonely hours get sometime, no matter how big the black cloud of hopelessness, despair, or depression that sweeps over you once in a while, or how often CRS creeps into your days, Rose says there are bright spots to be found. You just have to open your heart and mind and make the effort to look for them.