Am I getting old? Have I gotten old? Am I old?
Maybe. Maybe not.
This summer, I had a birthday. This is something that happens every summer, but this one was a little bit different. It hit a little bit harder. This summer, I turned 60 years old.
Now, I know what they say: “You’re only as old as you feel,” and “Age is just a number; it doesn’t mean anything,” and “Don’t think of it as growing older; think of it as gaining experience.”
That’s all good and well —until the number of your age starts with a “6.”
People get gray hair in their sixties. People retire in their sixties. People get senior citizen discounts in their sixties. People in their sixties sit around in rocking chairs talking with each other about the good old days. People in their sixties yell at people to get off of their lawn.
People in their sixties say things like, “These kids today and their music!” and “Why don’t they teach cursive in school anymore?” and, “When I was a kid you could buy a candy bar for a dime!”
People in their sixties had to walk five miles uphill in a blizzard every day to get to school in the morning.
People in their sixties still read newspapers.
And, yes, I occasionally find myself doing and saying some of those things. But, I don’t feel like I should be in my sixties. Not yet.
I didn’t have any problem with turning 50. 50 was fine! At 50 I was still climbing mountains, chasing after my kids, and regularly playing basketball with the 30 year-olds. (Yes, I was slower than them all, but at least once a month I would surprise them by making a good play.)
So, 50 didn’t bother me. People would say, “50 is the new 40,” and I would believe them because it felt like something that was true. I was still doing a lot of forty-ish things in my fifties.
So, if “50 is the new 40,” it should follow that “60 is the new 50,” right? Except that’s not quite accurate, if you actually do the math. (I’m married to a math teacher. I’ve got this equation worked out.) You see, mathematically, 50 is to 40 is the same as 60 is to … 48!
So, while I may have turned 60 this summer, it’s like I’m only 48! I’ve still got 12 years before I actually get old! Twelve more years to chase the kids, climb the mountains, and play some basketball. (Just take it easy on me. I’m not as young as I used to be.)
