My Milestone Birthday: Can We Make 60 the New 40?

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Well, here I am, my last day of being in my fifties. Milestone birthdays. I'm not special; I get it, it happens to all of us. If my dad were still alive, and I grumbled about it to him, he would look down his glasses at me and, with his dry sense of humor, tell me to "consider the alternative." Well, yeah, there is that. So, what is it about turning a certain age, an age that society deems "middle age," "older," or even "senior citizen"? How do we acknowledge those birthdays? Is it just another day or something more?

I can only speak for myself, but I think that those certain birthdays all hit us in a different way. At 18, you can vote and go into the military, both things that are major responsibilities for a young person. Thankfully, for our nation, there are plenty of young people who handle both to perfection. At 21, you can legally drink. But then, the responsibilities of adulthood come along at varying times. Marriage, children, jobs, and all that comes with it.

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We probably don't do it for those younger year birthdays. When 30 rolled around, it didn't bother me, I felt like an "adult." I didn't much care for 40, but I spent 50 at CPAC taking selfies with Col. Allen West and Sean Hannity. I guess it's normal, but I find myself today doing a rather large amount of "taking stock." 

I truly believe that whatever it is that you believe in, be it God, the Universe, or something else, there is a plan for us. My plan has certainly not been the traditional route of so many of my friends. Those who know me would say that is not surprising. My 20s were spent working as a Pharmacy Technician and being on my own and independent. I would not trade those years for anything. 

I met my now-husband in my 30s and didn't get married until I was 36, as did my closest circle of friends. I'm glad we did not meet until then because it gave me a chance to learn to live by myself. Healthcare began to burn me out in my 40s. It is a field that will do it to you fast, and I began blogging. If someone would have told me that I would go back to school at age 52 and get my bachelor's in Communications, I would have told them they were crazy, but I did.

So, here I am, hours away from that first number with the "6" in it. Has age brought wisdom? I like to think so. I am of the generation that is eternally glad the internet was not around while I was doing stupid stuff. There would be an endless supply of material. But don't get me wrong, some things you are never too old for: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Kool-Aid, hitting the streets in a freshly washed and waxed car, and cranking up the tunes. I am also lucky enough that my personal soundtrack is '70s and '80s, the greatest music ever.

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As far as the taking stock: What would I tell my younger self? Well, the usual, don't date those loser guys, and don't lie to me, you know who they are. Be more serious about your education. Pick and choose your friends wisely. Even though you are the biggest creature of habit anyone will ever meet, you must get outside your comfort zone. Have all the new experiences you can. Speak up for yourself, defend what you believe in, don't let people treat you like crap; and don't be afraid to burn bridges, but be selective about which ones.

As I step off into my next decade, what is life like? Well, the man I married at 36 and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage next year. My plan did not include children, but I am okay with that. I always figured it was because my plan was going to be for something else. I have a job that I absolutely adore and want to be better at every day, and coworkers that I could not love more. I don't really feel any different on the inside, although the outside has aches and pains I have grown to realize are just part of the deal.

Is 60 the new 40? I don't know for sure, but I am going to do my best to make it so because I am just getting started.