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.