A big one
Fifty years ago this evening, on the east side of Newark, N.J., I was born.
I don't know what to make of the new age I step into today. Part of it's depressing: I hear I'll be getting my first letter from the AARP soon. And is there any doubt I am in the second half of my career? (Maybe I'll work past 75, but I hope not!) Hair getting grayer and thinner, teeth getting longer, every day.
But things could be so much worse. A high school classmate of mine died a couple of weeks ago when a truck rear-ended him. A friend of ours found out yesterday that he's out of a job as of next week. A student recently had to drop my course because his mom had a devastating stroke at the age of 47.
Me, I feel 28. I have two young kids and a job that has me surrounded by bright young people in their 20s. I'm in halfway decent shape, and I'm sure a heck of a lot wiser than I was a couple of decades ago. I feel like Sally O'Malley, the goofy character that Molly Shannon used to play on Saturday Night Live -- the spritely dame in the too-tight red jumpsuit with the too-big hair, prancing around crowing to the youngsters that she was "fifty years old -- that's right, five-oh," as she'd "kick! and stretch! and kick!" That gal would wear that outfit for a week at a time, spraying a little Febreze on it as needed. But she always won out in the end.
I may be headed over the hill, but at least for today, I feel like I'm standing on top looking around.
| Posted at 3:10 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (20)
Happy birthday, cuz. Ya done good.
Posted by Parkway Rest Stop | January 15, 2004 3:35 AM
Happy Birthday Jack! while i'm not in new jersey, i now live in easton pennsylvania and damn, it is cold here! -from a former student
Posted by zac | January 15, 2004 4:29 AM
Happy five oh, Jack. I have found the fifth decade to be the best yet. Over the hill? Nope. On top - where the view is best. Many happy returns of the day to you.
Posted by Moonflower | January 15, 2004 4:36 AM
Happy birthday big brother. Hope it's a great one!
Posted by baby annie | January 15, 2004 5:01 AM
Happy Birthday, professor.
Great writing -- you rival Lileks.
Posted by Klug | January 15, 2004 6:29 AM
Happy Birthday, and many, many more!
I'm a little surprised you haven't gotten the AARP letter yet. My husband started getting those several months before he turned 50. He wasn't nearly as amused by them as I was.
Posted by Rita | January 15, 2004 7:06 AM
Ew, you are much cooler than Lileks, who is actually kind of a creep.
Happy birthday, sir.
Posted by Alli | January 15, 2004 7:55 AM
May you have many happy returns of the day!
Posted by mtpolitics | January 15, 2004 8:00 AM
ok, now this is just getting weird.
3/4 of my blogroll must be January babies. Me included. And probably half my friends. Our parents were busy in April!
Happy Birthday!
Posted by pril | January 15, 2004 10:21 AM
Very Happy Fiftieth to you!
*Toasts with virtual microbrew*
Posted by alan | January 15, 2004 10:26 AM
Happy Birthday Jack. It's inspiring to see that at 50 you're still posting to your blog at 3:10 AM.
Posted by Josh | January 15, 2004 11:31 AM
Happy birthday, Jack! May you live 50 more and enjoy them!
Posted by Emily | January 15, 2004 12:08 PM
Happy b-day! My dad just hit the ol' 50 last week. He just got back into town, so we're going drinking! ;-)
Have a drink on me, Jack!
Posted by Jake Ortman | January 15, 2004 12:54 PM
Happy birthday professor Jack. May the best days of your past be the worst days of your future!
Posted by Jennifer | January 15, 2004 2:52 PM
A local radio station sent me birthday greetings today, along with the following cogent observation: "At our age we're caught in a dilemma between listening to the Stones and passing them."
Posted by Jack Bog | January 15, 2004 2:53 PM
There's no doubt about it, you are on the back nine. Plus , you probably aged extra years due to your phobia when records were put on the wrong speed and you went apeshit.
Let me stand next to your fire.
Posted by brother gary | January 16, 2004 5:36 AM
Happy Birthday, Jack.
WWP's big 5-0 is not that far out, either. We know that feeling: Look 50, feel 25. A mean trick on baby boomers, if you ask WWP.
Posted by Worldwide Pablo | January 16, 2004 11:36 AM
Hey, what do you know--maybe all great bloggers are Capricorns. Mine's sunday.
It is, however, a meager mid-30s b-day, and not so historic as yours. Hope the next fifty are just as good--
Posted by Emma | January 16, 2004 1:18 PM
Hi Jack, Congratulations But tell me something, if we grew up together how can you be 50 when I just turned 39.
"very strange"
Posted by Bern | January 17, 2004 7:22 AM
happy belated birthday !!!
Posted by tony | January 19, 2004 2:21 AM