I got my PPL last year in July....age 52..I flew more than 300 hours in
this last year most of it VFR and training hours...just a couple of
weeks ago got my IR. Why did I do it?

On a long cross country from Long Island to Florida earlier this year I
found myself at 6,500 feet over a lovely scattered cloud
layer...somewhere over Maryland. Just sat back listened to ATC and let
the autopilot fly...about 45 minutes later I looked down and it was no
longer scattered...it was now broken...just an occassional glimpse of
the ground...my pulse started to quicken.I had more than 6 hours of
fuel in the Cessna 182 I was flying...but I was looking ahead at a
hundred miles of beautiful on top flying. I called FSS, 'fessed up and
asked how long it would be until I saw a break in the clouds...they
took all the information one would normally give for a flight plan and
passed me off to another ATC with a new Squawk code. The ATC guy came
on and vectored me to an airport where they were reporting 4000
scattered...and let me spiral down through the clouds..very relieved
and promising myself not to do that again

That was 4 months ago...Yesterday I flew with friends for breakfast
from FRG to FOK. The conditions: 1200 feet broken, 10 SM at FRG...900
feet overcast 10SM at FOK....What a pleasure compared to scud running
or asking for SVFR at the desination.

That's why you got your IFR ticket. I recommend you use it frequently
even when you don't have to...it will stop being an infliction and
become a great pleasure and accomplishment