Joining Exclusive company

I'm always dumbfounded when I have those "aha!" moments...like when I find money in an unwashed pocket or discover a factoid that enlarges my worldview. sometimes, those factoids are general in nature, such as the roof of my mouth and taste buds (having been dissolved by hot pizza) will regenerate in 10 days. That sort of thing causes me to take a step back in wonder. And so it was this past FRiday when I discovered that I had joined (unbeknownst to me) a select group that includes children under 14, invalids, pregnant women, and nursing mothers. It's quite a select group, and I guess I never really gave my inclusion much thought.

Friday was spent visiting a sick friend in a hospital, and the topic was lunch. It being the Lenten season in which we Catholics are forbidden meat on Fridays (though the fish might consider its flesh "meat"), I remarked at the patient's lunch which contained actual meat from a cow. another visitor in the room noted that the patient was exempt from the "no meat" rule since he was over the age of 60.

"Aha!"

since I have eclipsed that age marker as well, it appears that I no longer have to eat fish on Fridays during this religious season. I distinctly remember when I was younger thinking that those exempted by age from the requirement

a) were really lucky since I didn't like fish in any form, and 

b) were really old and due to die at any moment.

Of course, now that I'm in that category, I see that "old" is a relative term. so, despite the loophole, I still had fish on Friday...though one wonders if a Filet 'o' Fish at McDonald's is actually fish anyway.

I know it's not pig or cow, though so I've done my penance for the week.

Along with giving up broccoli.