Turning 40 - It’s All About the Journey

Posted on December 1, 2007 – 10:46 pm | Posted in » 40 Things |

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From The Adventures of GrimJeff

Today is my last day in my 30’s, and as I look ahead to the arrival of my 40’s I thought I’d share some of my thoughts/feelings/observations on the subject. Because like it or not, it’s coming.

1) Where has all the time gone? No, I mean really?

2) I guess this means that I’m an adult now. Despite the onset of middle age, I still think of myself as a kid most of the time who’s masquerading as an adult.

3) As cliched as it sounds, you really are as young as you feel.

4) Remember in A Christmas Carol where Scrooge, upon realizing that he is in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come says something like, “I fear you. More than any other spirit that I have encountered”? That’s how I feel about turning 40.

5) What is it with our culture that we tend to see years ending in a “0″ as milestones of some sort?

6) It’s just another birthday.

7) You only turn 40 once, but if you think about it, you only turn 33 once, or 12 once, or 78 once.

Those books about sex over 40 or fitness over 40 or life after 40 really annoy me.

9) As my good friend John says, “We’re at the top of the hill”, as in preparing to be over said hill in the years to come.

10) My first memory is of playing with a toy gorilla in the dirt driveway of my Mom’s first house. It was a trailer. Maybe because it’s my first memory I use it as the frame of reference whenever I look back over my life…

11) I’m more comfortable in my own skin now than I was at 20 and 30.

12) You know, on some deep, irrational level, I thought that I might somehow live forever.

13) Is it a sign of wisdom to say that I genuinely think that I’m wiser now that I’m older?

14) What’s the big deal?

15) It’s a good time to be alive.

16) No, I am NOT writing 80 thoughts about turning 80 when I turn 80…

17) I’m going to be halfway to 80.

18) I wonder if my hairline will recede a lot in my 40’s?

19) Speaking of hair, I’m noticing more “salt” in the “pepper”, if you catch my meaning.

20) I’m only half way through this list? What made me think that I could bang out 40 ideas when I started out writing this?!

21) I wrote that last sentence after sentence 11 so I wouldn’t forget to when I got to it. I’m writing this sentence after writing number 12.

22) Getting back to hair, I don’t mind gray hairs so much from a a color perspective. No, I hate them because they tend to be all twisted and dead.

23) I could die tomorrow.

24) I could live to a ripe old age.

25) At what point does from go from ripe to overripe?

26) Would we age better if we were placed in brown paper bags? You know, like pears?

27) I recently realized that energy has more to do with health habits and less to do with age.

28) I’m glad that my wife and I are close in age.

29) Only 10 more sentences to go!

30) 30 seemed kind of like a big deal, until I got to 40 that is…

31) Someone called me an “Old Soul” a while ago. I was really honored by that.

32) I refuse to grow up!

33) Thanks for reading this far.

34) I’m at peace with this.

35) I can’t believe I’m only 10 years away from 50!

36) I am not over.

37) I am just beginning.

38) I will continue to grow.

39) -The number of lashes Jesus received when held prisoner by the Romans. (40 was said to be fatal).

40) My favorite quote seems appropriate: “Death is nor the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies within us while we live.”