Who is AARP pitching to?

A lot of mornings I iron a pair of pants, or a shirt, and turn on the television to catch The High Chaparral.

Who doesn't?

Anyhow, as I'm watching, by doing that, a really old television show, early in the morning, I'm watching something that is probably being watched, I guess, by a lot of retired folks. At least the advertisers must think so. And one of those advertisers is the American Association of Retired Persons.

AARP has an add that pitches its automobile insurance, through Hartford, to people "50 years old and older".

Really? Are a lot of Americans in their 50s retired?  I really doubt it.

Oh, no doubt some are, but not most.  AARP, which also sends out their "join AARP" stuff to you when  you hit 50, seems to be fishing at the deep end of the pool there, but come on, how many Americans in their 50s are retired.

For that matter, fewer and fewer Americans in their 60s are retired and the retirement age is climbing.

Not that the AARP is the only organization that does this sort of thing. Some years ago I had  the occasion to have to interact with The American Legion, and during that an individual who was effectively recruiting for them asked me if I ever had any service, and if I'd like to join.  I have nothing against The American Legion but I didn't think I wanted to join, as I'm not a combat or wartime veteran after all.  I told the person I had been in the Guard but I was sure I wasn't eligible.  Well, it turned out that for some weird reason I was.  My period of Guard service had overlapped some bad event, I think our involvement in Lebanon (I was in basic training at that time, which actually put you in the Regular Army for that period of time), so I could be a Legion member. But why?  Doesn't seem what they'd want.

Of course, organizations need members to be effective, so I guess I can't blame them for trying.  But I'm not retired. Based upon my observations of other lawyers I know, my chances of retiring are really slim at that.