Reflections on...turning 50
 

Aug. 3rd I turned a half-century.

50...fuck...that sounds old.

My youngest daughter is pointing out the salt 'n pepper in my moustache. My wife is offering to carry the cat litter in from the car to save my surgery-repaired back. I got a coupon from "Grey Power" insurance to tempt me into switching to their coverage.

How did I celebrate my 'half-century' milestone?

My daughter and I hiked down to the bottom of two Niagara gorges yesterday and spent the day doing photography. We logged approx. 10kms. total. Tough escarpment trails, but scenic as hell with beautiful weather.

Later, we enjoyed a backyard campfire - I tossed back a dozen beers. We played some tunes through the tablet (wired-to-speakers)...had friends and family over. Reminisced about the old times and the goofy stuff. Made a few drunken confessions about the rebellious semi-illegal shit I've done over the years (shhhhh!).

We all had a good laugh.

Tried dispensing a few words-of-wisdom...in my own inane way. Nothing like Ghandi, but...but perhaps somewhat entertaining. Everyone had their own stories to tell. Finished the evening with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

All is good. :thumbsup

Congrats :)

Once when I was about 28, this really cute girl came up to me to ask for directions to somewhere, and she called me SIR. Had a good cry when I got home. Fuck.

50 is no big deal...your life was statistically half over at 43.

Few see 100 so the time to reflect is actually turning 40 if you want to have a "My life is half over..." reflective time.

Half a century is really a rather meaningless time reference point in a human life.

But hey...we do tend to make a bigger deal out of the years ending in zeros than any other digit! Once we get past the early big "rite of passage" events ages...18 legal to fuck and 21 legal to drink (note: these are in ages the USA).

In most advanced countries the age for both those events is lower as well...so go figure!

....and you would've exchanged all of that for a blowjob from 2 hot young strippers.

22 years old here. I feel like a baby. :(

All it means is you went around the Sun fifty times so far.

i'm 36 and already have greys in my beard (and have for a few years). i can only imagine what it will be at 50. congrats on the milestone. sounds like a good time was had.

right, you said 43 not 33.. haha

I'll join you at 50 in mid October. Hopefully, hehe.

Happy belated birthday too.

Welcome to the half century club.

Your dues will be collected on the first Friday of every month.

My birthday is august 3rd as well. Happy belated bday!

Don't worry it also happened to me 20 years ago...

Don't be sad, you have about 10 great years left. Within the next 7 years your testosterone level will plummet. Well, you know what that leads to.

When you hit 30, your eyes' sensitivity to low light will begin to decline. The years following will lead to you needing corrective lenses by the time you hit 40. The loss of elasticity in your skin will be apparent in your face from the expression lines.

You will know you're getting old when NFL football players that graduated college at the same time as you are retiring in their mid 30s. People are impressed with 37 year old professional cyclists because of their age. When you do amateur sports 35 and older is called masters, etc.

By the time you hit 40, your prostate will double in size and you will need to go to the bathroom more often. Your body's ability to use oxygen efficiently has diminished. You will need to chew your food more because your body no longer can break down the large chunks of food before it rots in your digestive system giving you gas. You will also start to notice floaters in your eyes but not recognize what they are until a big chunk gets loose.

When you hit 50, it's harder to get a new job. When you hit 54, the media considers you dead and no longer market to you. You also start believing phrases such as, "50 is the new 40."

By the time you hit 60, your body causes the chemistry of the bacteria on your skin to change and you will start to get that "old man smell". Knowing the cause, you can treat this and continue to hang out with 22 year old hookers.

I can go on forever but my dad doesn't talk about it much anymore. He just uses phrases like, "The next step is the grave." and "Remind me to tell you about the secret bank account."

Make a second run at all the things you fucked up the first time because you were too young and stupid.

Thanks, printed that out and put it on my fridge door, very inspirational.

Once you hit fifty, don't give into fear, just pick up speed and enjoy everything. Work on that bucket list and don't take shit from any one. I'll be 54 in a couple months, I party harder now than I did at half this. I love more, I experience more and I have no regrets, it is what it is!

My daughter is 26 and I had to sit thru someone trying to hit on her last night, talking about self control, but my daughter politely told him no.

Belated Happy Birthday. Remember, growing old is a privilege, not every one gets a chance to rack up the years ;)

Thanks Tom. Hope yours is as enjoyable in October.

Just charge it to my ePassporte account. :winkwink:

And a happy B'day back at ya'. :)

Naw, I'm still finding new things to fuck up - no time to re-visit ancient history.

Thanks. And that's very true. I'm already pre-deceased by two sisters. Growing old is indeed a privilege.

My birthday is the 3rd as well. Im 2 years shy of my 50th

:thumbsup

Spent mine fishing on Lake of the woods for musky. Caught a 40 incher so not to bad