As I was reading recently about the Beaches to Woodlands Tour and the Centennial Celebration of the L&N Depot in Milton, I recalled the many train depots and stations I have known over the years.

They included the grand stations of Philadelphia and the small ones in Pennsylvania Dutch country. They were served by both the ‘Pennsy,’ (Pennsylvania Railroad) and the Reading railroad, for which my grandfather worked as an accident counselor, as well as being a rector in the Brethren Church.

I often walked to work with my grandfather on the cobbled streets – there was not much worry about traffic in those days. To save time on the way home, I usually made a detour across what was known as the “swinging bridge.” Suspended high above the tracks that bisected the town, the bridge was sooooo much fun!

Far below were the passenger and freight trains being prepared for their next trip. If a child ran and jumped down hard with all their weight, they could feel the bridge start to swing just slightly, from side to side. Of course, if you were a grownup, the motion became more noticeable, and more exciting.

As a skinny kid, I couldn’t get much action going no matter how hard I jumped, but a little imagination always helped. I guess it is strange to think that, in those distant days, you didn’t get in trouble for that kind of thing – it could still just be innocent fun. Okay, it wasn’t as exciting as a space capsule, or a video game, maybe, but it was fun just the same!

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I hope you are going to catch the free seminar offered today from noon to 1 p m., “Aging Gracefully: Perfecting Your Posture, Balance and Strength” in the Rehabilitation Center at The Club, 1230 Crane Cove Boulevard east of Gulf Breeze.

Physical therapist Susan Burke will be the speaker, and it’s designed with seniors in mind.

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The American Medical Association (AMA) has issued guidelines for doctors to help older patients whose driving has become questionable, and is also running a program to train doctors about medical fitness to drive.

Occupational therapists increasingly are assessing driving skills with memory and other tests, and offering rehabilitation services to strengthen driving skills. The government recently earmarked $1.6 million to start a National Older Drivers Research Center. Run by the University of Florida and the American Occupational Therapy Association, the Center will train certified driving rehabilitation specialists.

One in four drivers will be over the age of 65 by 2030. The driver rehab program is intended to help these seniors stay on the road as long as it is safe.

If you are interested in driver rehabilitation programs, you might try calling the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists toll-free at 866-672-9466 for more information.

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I bet you can add a few more to these senior experiences:

¦ You’ve reached the age where ‘happy hour’ is a nap.

¦ Be careful reading the fine print, because you know there’s no way you’re going to like it.

¦ After 60, if you don’t wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead!

See you next week!