Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough. ~ Groucho Marx
So, on that note, I am going to discuss turning forty. I turn forty today. Happy birthday to me.
I have felt a little depressed this week. It was a subconscious depression and I can't quite put my finger on why I felt down, but it's pretty obvious it was a subtle dread about this birthday. I'm not sure why. I didn't want a party (and didn't get one). I didn't want fancy jewelry (well, except for this ring!). I went to a New Kids on the Block concert a few weeks ago and had a great time feeling young and wild and free for a night. Yes - wild. If you know me at all, you know that singing and dancing along to anything constitutes "wild".
Someday...
Forty is pretty close to literal middle-age, depending on how long I expect to live. I'm aiming for about 83-87, so I'd say I'm almost halfway there but not quite on the downhill yet. So why was that dread there?
Maybe I need to focus on some positives...
1. I don't feel guilty taking naps. In fact, not only do I embrace naps, I schedule them in advance. It's very important that I never miss a scheduled nap. Just ask my husband.
2. I can still do a cartwheel. Well...I can put my arms in the air, throw myself forward, and not break my neck, but it still counts.
3. For another 22 months, I can brag about being married to a young'un in his thirties. Yes, I am quite the cougar.
Are there some negatives? Sure.
1. No matter how much I age, I will never catch up to the "Show ID if you look under X age" sign. Not kidding. I've chased that sign ever since I was 21. I was actually told the other day that since I am forty and not "Over 40", I still have to show ID.
2. I hate motels. Not because I am a snob (well, maybe a little), but because I require sleep (see #1 in previous list) and motels are too noisy. The last motel I stayed in required double earplugs in each ear and I could still hear the elephants upstairs.
3. People automatically assume I'm younger than I am because my daughter is only 6, but I know the day is coming when I will be mistaken for her grandmother. I have a therapist on standby.
The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. ~ Lucille Ball
If you can manage to not look your age, if you still get asked for ID when buying a bottle of wine, then you can be proud to be forty. I personally enjoy telling people I am forty and seeing the look of surprise on their face. When they start stammering something like "Oh, is that all?", then I'll know it's time for a makeover.
Yogurt that promises to taste like cheesecake and a protein bar that promises to taste like cookie dough ... they don't. At all. ~ Me
In the meantime, I turn forty today, and forty isn't old ... if you're a tree.