Year of the "Middle Aged" Reality

CREDIT: https://cedrichohnstadt.wordpress.com/


As this year begins to unfold with winter still at our door and days slowly start to become longer, we realize we will have to face a new beginning, we will turn 50. Some of us have already welcomed this moment in the last few days, but has this reality really set in that we are now 50 years old? We begin to call ourselves or others see us as middle aged individuals?

We hoped that 50 marked many individual accomplishments and that we no longer have control on aging or do we? Since the days of high school, did we have our act together in terms of the direction of our life? Back when we were at our Senior Banquet night we were all asked to write on this huge blank poster on the wall. The question was where we will be in 10 years and what we will be doing. Did we see it through? Or was it a symbolic hope? I remember one classmate scribbled, "To be the First Filipino Astronaut". Where is he now? If I was to check on him would he be a bona fide astronaut at NASA? On the idea of our well-being, did we keep ourselves in shape to the best of our ability. E.g. walked around the neighborhood after dinner or hit the gym on a regular basis or simply kept up with some cardio regiment? Are our financial woes behind us? Are we still paying bills to credit card companies, have we settled our IOUs with family, friends, co-workers or do we still have debt from the 80s? Strange thought isn't it?

Well one thing is for sure in life, death and taxes and we'll skip the conversation about death. I think the reality of turning 50 is a cause for celebration and reflection that not only have we aged, but we excelled in ways we never thought possible. We deal with taxes every year, no brainer, but the fact we've adapted to the many changes each decade triggered, whether it's a loss of a fellow classmate or realize your family dynamics has changed, divorced, married again, and single or our government is not governing the way we expect them to. Politics and social settings has changed, no more Reagan, but a president who happens to be black and from Hawaii, who would have thought? I certainly didn't. Instead of a Sony Walkman it's an iPad - what's next?

I hope the next 50 years will be filled with exciting changes for the better, we have to believe that or we'll just be simply looked upon as "old" and "disengaged". I hear there is another class gathering this year in Las Vegas to celebrate our youthful 50 year old bodies. If you missed our 30th year class reunion, this one might be a worthwhile gathering. Check it out. Let's embrace "middle age" with zest! We never know when we can recognize the past (our old classmates) and embrace the future with others who can relate (other 50 year olds).

Make the trek, see you in April!