All,
I just had to post this hilarious response from "Midnight:"
" Turning fifty didn't bother me at all... Maybe for several reasons...
First of all, the little whippersnapper check out people at Kroger have been giving me the "senior" discount for some time. I've thought about asking them "just how OLD do you think I am" but, being a mature person in my fifties, I just smile sweetly and thank the little snits for my discount. Plus, it would probably cause a bit of a scene if I jumped over the counter stuffed my Kroger card down their little juvenile throats. At that point, paper or plastic wouldn't even be an option...
Second reason 50 wasn't so bad, my sweet husband surprised my with a piece of very nice jewelry. I don't care what folks may say, giving a woman jewelry is nothing but a win/win situation...
Third reason. I know, but, apparently other people don't know, I'm really only 27. Why the general public can't see that is beyond me. And it's usually people that appear to be in their 30s or 40s that don't realize or notice my "27ness". Some even feel obligated to say "yes ma'am and no ma'am" and naturally, I turn around to see to whom they're speaking...
Being in my fifties doesn't bother me. I really do feel wiser and think that my decisions make more sense. And although I've had multiple opportunities, not a single Kroger employee has been injured. Proof right there that some good things do come with age..."
Thanks Midnight for your keen insight and humor!
-Ken
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
50+
I'm over 50. So what?
So, that means that the pressure's off! I don't have to be concerned with "turning 50" anymore! How about you? Have you found this stage of life to be a remarkable breath of fresh air?
In my 20s, I was concerned with a lot of things that seem far away and distant now. In my early 20s, I was in the "explorer" phase of life. Everything was new and different - and an adventure. I couldn't stay in one place for longer than 6 months to a year. I wanted to do more, earn more, know more and experience more. Late 20s came and suddenly I felt the pressure to marry (a big mistake for me, as it ended in divorce). In my case (not speaking for others with successful marriages) I quickly found that I was ill-prepared for a married life. As those of you know that have maintained your marriages, it takes work and much compromise (as it should).
In my 30s, as a divorcee, I returned (for a bit) to the foolishness of my early 20s, trying desperately to recapture youth that was so quickly fleeting. Meanwhile, I still retained the wander-lust of the "next big thing." So, again, I moved. And, again, I found that the "green, green grass of home" was even sweeter than that of other pastures.
The 40-years came and went more quickly than I expected. I've spent most of those here in Little Rock, enjoying the comforts of being around long time friends in a state and city that I've come to love. We Arkansans enjoy a quality of life here that, frankly, most people outside the state don't seem to understand. To that end, so be it! We can just keep the secret to ourselves, eh?
And then, more than a year ago, the half-century mark lit painlessly on me, light as a feather, with no guilt, no remorse, no looking back. I guess I'm still surprised at not only the ease with which I slid into "middle age" but also with the unbridled relief that I feel - now that I'm here!
At 51, I know more now. Not as much as I want, but a heck of a bunch more than the average 24 year-old that I engage at the coffee pot or water fountain. I don't mean intellectually, of course. The kids today are bright, no doubt, and much brighter than me. But, I'd rather have the wisdom that comes with hard-knocks and experience. At 51, I take time to enjoy the little things. I don't miss the ambiguities and painful inexperience of my early 20s. In fact, I most certainly wouldn't want to return to that post-adolescent age with today's challenges. I get the distinct impression that a lot of today's young folks just don't know which way to turn or to whom (or what) to listen.
So, is it just me? Or is 50+ a great time to be alive?
God bless ya'll!
-Ken
So, that means that the pressure's off! I don't have to be concerned with "turning 50" anymore! How about you? Have you found this stage of life to be a remarkable breath of fresh air?
In my 20s, I was concerned with a lot of things that seem far away and distant now. In my early 20s, I was in the "explorer" phase of life. Everything was new and different - and an adventure. I couldn't stay in one place for longer than 6 months to a year. I wanted to do more, earn more, know more and experience more. Late 20s came and suddenly I felt the pressure to marry (a big mistake for me, as it ended in divorce). In my case (not speaking for others with successful marriages) I quickly found that I was ill-prepared for a married life. As those of you know that have maintained your marriages, it takes work and much compromise (as it should).
In my 30s, as a divorcee, I returned (for a bit) to the foolishness of my early 20s, trying desperately to recapture youth that was so quickly fleeting. Meanwhile, I still retained the wander-lust of the "next big thing." So, again, I moved. And, again, I found that the "green, green grass of home" was even sweeter than that of other pastures.
The 40-years came and went more quickly than I expected. I've spent most of those here in Little Rock, enjoying the comforts of being around long time friends in a state and city that I've come to love. We Arkansans enjoy a quality of life here that, frankly, most people outside the state don't seem to understand. To that end, so be it! We can just keep the secret to ourselves, eh?
And then, more than a year ago, the half-century mark lit painlessly on me, light as a feather, with no guilt, no remorse, no looking back. I guess I'm still surprised at not only the ease with which I slid into "middle age" but also with the unbridled relief that I feel - now that I'm here!
At 51, I know more now. Not as much as I want, but a heck of a bunch more than the average 24 year-old that I engage at the coffee pot or water fountain. I don't mean intellectually, of course. The kids today are bright, no doubt, and much brighter than me. But, I'd rather have the wisdom that comes with hard-knocks and experience. At 51, I take time to enjoy the little things. I don't miss the ambiguities and painful inexperience of my early 20s. In fact, I most certainly wouldn't want to return to that post-adolescent age with today's challenges. I get the distinct impression that a lot of today's young folks just don't know which way to turn or to whom (or what) to listen.
So, is it just me? Or is 50+ a great time to be alive?
God bless ya'll!
-Ken
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