By HAROLD KELLER

For those who don’t believe that age is just a state of mind, you haven’t met Mrs. Dutch Peattie. She is an active golfer, excited about life, loves to talk and has a great sense of humor. What’s so different about Mrs. Dutch is that she’ll be 91 in August. I’ve known her casually for a few years but really got to appreciate her over the last year.

Saturday, she and her daughter, Joyce Coleman, attended the Get High on Life Mother’s Day breakfast at the Holiday Inn. She was a spry as any of the 172 ladies in attendance.

She told me that she was going to play in a foursome Monday to benefit St. Joan of Arc Catholic School. Nothing unusual about a golf foursome you might think, but this foursome is made up of Mrs. Dutch, Jack (Joyce’s husband), her grandson Jeff and her great-grandson, Andrew. What a story about living life to the fullest!

Mrs. Dutch and I have one thing in common. We love to talk.

She also loves to tell jokes. This weekend, she shared with me the time she got stopped by a police officer.

“The officer pulled me over and told me that I was going too slow on a public highway. At the time, I was going 35 mph.”

“You have traffic backed up a mile!” the officer said.

“But officer, the sign read 35,” I said.

“It’s Highway 35,” he said, impatiently, “not the speed limit!”

He then noticed two ladies, in their early 80s, in the back seat, nervous and crying. “What’s wrong with them?” the officer said.

Mrs. Dutch said, “I guess it’s because we just got off Highway 95.”

I enjoyed the joke so much I had to tell it at a drug rehab center Sunday. The clients, not used to clean jokes, enjoyed it as much as I did.

Yes, in August, my friend Mrs. Dutch will be 91 years young. What a great personality and such a refreshing outlook on life!

I thank God that He’s allowed me to make her acquaintance.

Mrs. Dutch, next year at our Mother’s Day breakfast, I’m going to do something daring. I’m going to give you the microphone for hopefully, five minutes.

HAROLD KELLER writes this column as part of his affiliation with the Get High on Life religious motivational group. Call him at (985) 652-8477 or write to P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084.