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