Saturday, March 10, 2012

OMG! 50! How did that happen?

The CW blog chain this month chose the theme of "savor." Even before the theme was chosen I had decided to pick today because it is my birthday. What was I thinking?

So now I have been racking my brains on how I could tie the two ideas together in a sort of "savoring turning 50." Still nothing.

There used to be a time when I thought 30 was old, until I turned thirty. Forty was ancient until I reached that milestone. Being fifty was inconceivable, but here I am.

So here I sit on a Saturday morning finishing up my hotcakes and sausage at Mickey D's, attempting to savor the thought of being 50 and what exactly that means. Don't worry, I am not going to wax philosophical about it. After all there is not much I can do to turn back the clock.

For many people this milestone is a shock. We are over the halfway point on our earthly journey. What kind of regrets do we have? Have we made any progress on our bucket list? Is arthritis strength Tylenol on sale?

I really can't take myself seriously. The idea of turning 50 often throws us for a loop. We are ready for the old age home, wheelchairs and dementia and other irrational thoughts. We tend to think that the better part of our lives are over; there is nothing left, and all the assorted self-inflicted mental tortures. But actually getting there is realizing, this is not so bad after all.

To put into perspective:

Dame Barbara Cartland died at the age of 98. She was writing well into her eighties and during her lifetime published over 700 titles. She also had several manuscripts which her son published after her death.

Anne Mcaffery, my favorite author, passed away last fall at the age of 85. her last book, co-authored with her son was published in June of last year. Well actually her second last, The last one is scheduled for release this year. She was the first woman to be on the New York Times best seller for science fiction.

Louis L'Amour was 80 when he died. He had over one hundred published works.

From the Bible:

Noah was 500 when he built the ark.

Jacob was around 100 when he wrestled with God.

Moses was over 80 when he was called to lead Israel to freedom. He was close to 120 when he wrote the first five books of the Bible.

Caleb was also in his eighties when he entered the promised land and fought for his inheritance.

So when you actually think about it, is 50 the beginning of the end or is it a stepping stone towards bigger and better things? It is something that only can be answered when we are at that particular milestone.

Happy birthday.

15 comments:

  1. Happy birthday, young whipper-snapper! I'll turn 59 next month. Your 50 is YOUNG. (Let's see who comments that 59 is practically childhood!)

    Anne Mc and Louis L are 2 of my favorites. And you're right, as writers, we don't have to worry that our careers are over with old age. Kinda makes you happy you didn't become a professional ballerina, right? Speaking for myself, of course...(giggle)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy Birthday ol' boy! I'm a couple of months ahead of you. I tested the waters and 50 is okay. All my joints still work, several of them creak, but they work. My muscles still work, I feel them more than ever, so I know they're working. My stomach makes noises I don't remember from childhood, and other rumblings too... but we'll not discuss those. All in all, it's not a bad gig. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey,Happy Birthday! Nice post. I like the stats. Yep, being 50 is not bad at all. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Loved your 'hall of fame' - you found some great examples to look up to. Happy birthday, too, by the way. I'll be turning 50 myself later this year, but i think I'm prepared. Forty was a huge shock to my system, but I think I can handle this next hurdle. (Time will tell, though, won't it?)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great post, Steve. I have another Hall of Famer for you:

    When I was a reporter just out of college, I interviewed John T. Webb, a man who wrote and self published his first novel at the age of 75 after having retired from a career as a roofing contractor. The book was an epic story about a Choctaw family forced to travel the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma, and because he was previously unpublished, none of the publishers would take a chance on him. So, he started his own publishing company (Bokhama House), put the book out himself and embarked on a speaking and book signing tour to promote it.

    This was in 1987. He knew nothing about desktop publishing or computers, but he got his daughter to help him, and he did all the work himself. The book was 607 pages, but very well written. You can see it on Amazon if you want to know more: http://www.amazon.com/Never-my-knees-John-Webb/dp/0918865999/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

    When I interviewed him, I asked him what he planned to do next. He said he wanted to write another historical novel, this time about the Cherokee nation. "If I live long enough to finish it," he added with a grin.

    I pray I'm even half that feisty at his age.

    ReplyDelete
  6. A clarification about my earlier comment: The family in the novel didn't travel the Trail of Tears (as I was reminded by some of the online research I just did), but the story of their struggles is still a compelling read. If you're interested in Native American history in the pre-Civil War era, you should consider getting Never On My Knees. Webb's book was so strong that it even got a mention in a research paper about Native American literature; you can find it online if you Google the novel title and John T. Webb's name together. Not bad for a 75-year-old first time writer.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy birthday Mate.

    I think there's just something about starting a new decade that does something to our brains. I certainly experienced that when I turned 30.

    I like the little examples you shared. We can never go backward, but we never need to stop pushing for the next adventure.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Happiest Birthday to you Steve, 50's not too far off for me... always remember the older you get the better you get!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sorry I am so late to the party- But now that you have had a couple days to get used to the BIG 50- it's not so bad.. It's just a number! I also love your "hall of fame" so we're just getting going! Blessings and Happy Birthday!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Every day is a day to savor and a new adventure, whether it's when you are 10 or 50!

      Delete
  10. Happy happy birthday (though I'm late). :) And what a great list of fellow writers. I believe all of them have made their way through my hands at some point in my life, yes, even Louis L'Amour. :) Great post. Savor every minute of it, because it only gets better from here, right?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Happy Belated Birthday, Steve! You're a few years (jut a few!) ahead of me, but as I look back, I'm happy to be here just shy of 50 -- in this more contented place. I'm not so concerned about how I look, what I wear, what others think, how I measure up, or don't, anymore. It's OK to simply be who I am, a kind of unexpected freedom, and I can only imagine that freedom grows from here. I may not be as spry (certainly less so physically since the accident), I may not have as much energy, I may not be quite adventurous anymore, but I'm definitely happier, more settled, content. It's a good place to be...and one step closer to eternity! :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I really liked this. We all look at getting older, as you said, that our lives are practically over. If we live life the fullest everyday we are alive it will never feel like we are done.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Well, since I'm now fifty-three, I'd say fifty is a milestone toward better things. Great post.

    ReplyDelete