As milestone birthdays go your 17th and 21st are probably the best. At 17 you get your driver’s license, unless like me you fail your first attempt at the driving test and have to wait months to finally get your license.

In my day 18 was indeed special because I hit it just right and that was the legal drinking age. What were they thinking at that time? Of course now 21 is the magical year and usually one celebrated with great gusto.

So after 21 the milestones surround ages that are for many tough to face. I don’t remember 30 as being anything significant and when I turned 40 my wife took me to a Knicks game in New York and highlighted the occasion on the scoreboard.
Frankly I don’t remember my 50th but I know I wasn’t all that excited about it.
I think that was the first time I received something in the mail from AARP which I promptly threw away.

I mention all of this because yesterday I turned 60. I guess I should say celebrated my 60th because it beats the alternative. However I would be a liar if I said that I’m excited about an age I never thought about until I was 59. For the most part I’m in pretty good health and I did feel good last Friday during a doctor’s appointment when he was stunned to find I was turning 60. He thought I was about ten years younger.

Having all your hair helps even if you need occasional help to keep it from going all grey. I have a wonderful wife and great relationship with my 30 year old son and 24 year old daughter. Clearly those are things to be thankful for.

I’m not going to bore you as to why I’m not in a true celebratory mood over this milestone. I know people say 50 is the new 40 and 60 is the new 50 but before too long that runs out. nobody says 100 is the new 90. I just have this constant memory of being in high school and thinking that teachers I had were so old when in truth they were in their 40s and maybe 50s. In other words I’m well past that.

I’m consumed with knowing I’m as close to 80 and I was to 40 which seems like yesterday which means tomorrow is right around the corner.

I just have to deal with it I guess. Meanwhile to the more than 500 people who reached out to me yesterday on Facebook or LinkedIn I truly appreciate you taking the time to do so. They say money can’t replace friendship. Thank goodness for that!

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