Things to Do at Least Once, Maybe Twice, When You're Over 50

• Dance outside, at night in a country where a Romance language is spoken.
  

• Skinny dip, outside, at night, in any place where romance is spoken.
  

• Scuba-dive, if it scares you. Zip-line, if it scares you. Do ropes, if it scares you. Try to master something that won't kill you, but that scares you.
  

• Collect great lines, and great moments, instead of owls, frogs or beautiful plates.
  

• Photo albums cost about $9. Take those photos out of the drawer and put them in chronological order. Start with your wedding. You will feel cleansed, virtuous. You may feel thinner.
  

• Have the courage to stick to what you believe to be true. Without losing your temper or your dignity, stand firm. It's not "unpleasantness." You've lived long enough to pick a side.
  

• Take care of your feet. No one wants rough, moldy oldies. Attractive, springy feet change your mood, and your life. Wear the best shoes you can afford. Get pedicures — as a couple (yes, guys do!).
  

• Honor sleep. It really does make you better looking.
  

• Earn enough to retire, then don't.
  

You may also like: 13 little luxuries we deserve after 50.

Jacquelyn Mitchard is the best-selling author of 21 books. Her latest novel, Second Chances, comes out in September 2011.