Always preferred sticks and still do, but as you get older the automatics do have some advantages that you may appreciate more. In addition to keeping you behind the wheel, if you have a spouse that isn't too stick-proficient and you might want to have fill in now and then as the driver, it gives you more options.
Sitting here recovering from shoulder surgery and with a spouse that is downright scary using a stick, I am even considering going with an automatic in one of my project cars that for years I would have never even considered and have accumulated all the stick parts to finish. Am assuming I will be functional in the right arm in a couple months again. But, even if I am not then the automatic looks preferable to riding shotgun..
So, a 59 TBird I am working on will remain automatic (modified C6 replacing the CM & modified 390 instead of original 352) and my 73 fastback with 460 will remain converted to manual... Gives me multiple options that I would never have considered 10-20 years ago..