I joined AARP

That's right!  I paid my $12.50 and joined AARP last night, right on the association's web site.  I'm actually pretty excited about it!

Now, you might be wondering why I did this.  I mean, I know I'm getting up there in years, but I'm not that old yet, right?

In all seriousness, it has nothing to do with being old.  (And by the way, I'm not old, so just you never mind about that.)  I was inspired to join by a brief article in the May 15th issue of FORTUNE describing the experience of Jim Aley, a 40-year old editor at the magazine.  Jim mistakenly received an application to join AARP in the mail, possibly from a flawed direct-mail list.  Still, he decided to complete and return the form, and he received confirmation shortly thereafter that he was made an "associate member" of AARP, which apparently is how the association tags under-50 types like us.

The FORTUNE article was the impetus for my decision to join, but it is not the reason.  I chose to join, in part, because I'm looking forward to receiving my subscription to AARP the Magazine, which is likely to be my only direct membership benefit for the next decade or so.  I expect it will be a very interesting read, and provide excellent fodder for all of my blogs, especially this one.  Also, my mother is an AARP member and while I won't receive all of the mail she gets from the organization (she's a full member), I'll be better informed than I am right now about what AARP offers her.

One other aspect of my thinking here goes back to a session I attended with AARP executive director Bill Novelli in the fall of 2001.  At that time, I asked him what AARP was doing to lay the groundwork for Generation X members to join the organization since, if you use the 1961-1981 timeline for Gen X, the front edge of my generation turned 40 that year and was only ten years removed from AARP membership.  He said flatly that the organization wasn't doing anything, and I'm curious to see if and how the organization's thinking may have changed in the last five years. 

I certainly hope it has.  The FORTUNE article provides statistics revealing that while the 50-and-over population in the U.S. has grown by 14% since 2000, AARP's membership has increased by only 7% during that same time.  Jim Aley's and my associate memberships won't be the basis for growth at AARP to be sure, but perhaps our interest is a sign of things to come.  Regardless, I'm willing to invest $12.50 to get a better view.

Totally.

Comments

[Rick Johnston, CAE]

You may not be that old, Jeff, but I am. (Although not ready to retire.) The magazine is great and I will be interested in your review. They also have a very active online community and an AARP Issues Blog.

[Hank Waters]

Got my associate membership and am under 50 though the wife is over. So i will hound these scoundrels for a refund since they did not up the wife who was included. This is an outright ripoff and scam by these money hungry people. You can live w/o the AARP