Sunday, February 25, 2007

Reflecting on 50

Monday February 25, 1957 was a pretty uneventful day with one notable exception. Yours truly came kicking and screaming out in the world at Decatur/Macon County Hospital at about 1AM, thus forever disappointing my parents.

I was supposed to be born on the 24th. My parents were married on 4/4/44, my sister born 11/4/45, my dad born 1/4/22. So you see the deal; four was the lucky number. Of course mom was born 6/1/23 so she was left out in the cold too. Maybe that is why we got along.

50 years. Many tell me I am still but a child. Some look at me and think I am younger. No one mistakes me for older. Yet.

50 years. A lot has changed. Born just before Sputnik, I remember the space race and like a lot of kids my age sat riveted to the TV watching John Glenn and ultimately seeing men on the moon. I came to visit this planet years before Cable TV (color was still amazing for a while), the internet (computers were still numbered in the hundreds and did not much more than a good calculator) and cell phones(a Princess phone was a treat). Cars had tail fins and Alaska was not even a state, nor was Hawaii. Jet airplanes were new and rare, most still powered by pistons.

I have seen some amazing things and been to some amazing places. Stood on the Mount of Olives and in Westminster Abbey. Climbed two volcanoes, walked the streets of Mozart, Henry VIII, Jesus, Mohammad, William Wallace and Napoleon. Seen a lot, met a lot of people. Laughed a lot, cried too much and made many great friends. I was blessed with 3 wonderful kids, one who sadly does not walk this world anymore, but two I know will do great things and make me proud, as I already am.

1/2 Century. A damn long time. For some reason, 50 is harder on me than 30 or 40. 30 found me unhappily married and in a horrible job, but I still felt I had my whole future. 40 found me in a great job, lots of great friends and co workers and the peak of my career. 50 finds me floating, drifting would more accurately it. I never figured I'd be where I am now, out of the real world of work, in a simple job with more hassles than benefits. A lot of friends have drifted away as it becomes more necessary for people to move to stay ahead of the game. We plan on keeping touch, but that soon passes. Soon it is just too much water under the bridge.

50, I'll survive it. Eating my way through it more like it. Now 60, that is unfathomable. We ain't even talking about that.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, Don!

I reached the 50 milestone a few days before you! Oddly enough, I find 50 easier than 30 (horrible marriage) or 40 (horrible job), even though my current life can best be described as chaotic. Maybe it's because I have a better perspective now.

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that control is an illusion. If someone had told me even six months ago what my life would be like today, I would have laughed at them. Absolutely nothing about my current life was part of the plan, yet somehow things have worked out.

And - I really believe, the best is yet to come!

Here's to the next decade!