I recently went to the Sliema post office to settle two bills with two written cheques at the ready. One was a water and electricity bill. So far so good.

The other was for Melita Cable, a bill I pay annually. After handing it to the cashier, he very bashfully asked for an extra 20 cents.

"Had you gone to pay it in Valletta, you would have had to pay 20 cents for the bus fare," he said. It was 20 cents only due to my senior citizenship.

So I said to him: "Well, had I been a junior citizen, I would have had to pay 40 cents."

"Yes, of course," was the reply.

Senior citizenship has its aches and pains, but for once it was an asset to belong to this category!