Thursday, October 16, 2008

Birthdays and aging



This is for a couple of good friends, my sponsor and my friend D. who celebrate their birthdays this week. I won't tell the age of either. My sponsor says that he has reached an age when the things he does can be considered "cute". They aren't goofy or stupid anymore, but cute. So he can get away with a lot. I don't know about D. He is reaching the age when you start to realize that you aren't a kid anymore. But whatever the age, we seem to be in the over 70 category because we take it One Day at A Time! Watch those green bananas next time you think about buying some.

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?"

"I'm 4 and a half."

You're never 36 and a half, but you're 4 and a half going on 5! That's the key. You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number.

"How old are you?"

"I'm gonna be 16."

You could be 12, but you're gonna be 16. And then the greatest day of your life happens: you become 21. Even the words sounds like a ceremony--you BECOME 21. YES!!!!

But then you turn 30. Ooohhh, what happened here?? Makes you sound like bad milk. He TURNED. We had to throw him out. There's no fun now. What's wrong?? What changed???

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40...stay over there, it's all slipping away...

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, you're PUSHING 40, you REACH 50...my dreams are gone...

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, you're PUSHING 40, you REACH 50 and then you MAKE IT to 60...Whew! I didn't think I'd make it.

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, You're PUSHING 40, you REACH 50, you MAKE IT to 60, and by then you've built up so much speed, you HIT 70!

After that, it's a day by day thing. You HIT Wednesday, you get into your 80s, you HIT lunch. I mean my grandmother won't even buy green bananas, "Well it's an investment, you know, and maybe a bad one."

And it doesn't end there...Into the 90's, you start going backwards: I was JUST 92. Then a strange thing happens, if you make it over 100, you become a little kid again: I'm 100 and a half!!

Age is a funny thing.

17 comments:

  1. I love my age. I'm not crazy about my skin aging - but I appreciate the experience.

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  2. Oh this is priceless I saw this when he performed it on TV once it was just as funny then - thank you I needed this reminder that those green bananas are an investment!!! Cat
    (PS I TURN 43 this month!)AAAAHAHAHA

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  3. I really enjoyed your post... from someone turning 30 soon. I got a total kick out of it. I thank God for everyone in my life who has always been through so much, that I might learn from there triumphs and mistakes.

    Peace and serenity.

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  4. My son was talking about one of his friends birthday this morning and I said "Wow you're both 8 now, the same age." He quickly corrected me to state that he was still older since his birthday was a month before.

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  5. Wonderful! I'm loving this, it made me smile all over ... the bit about the green bananas being a "dubious" investment once we reach a certain age is the best ... I'll never be able to buy bananas again without thinking of your grandmother's words :-)

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  6. Thanks a bunch for the comment on my posting from yesterday. Yours was one of the first blogs I ever read and its kind of an honor to get a message from you. I agree with what you said about relationships and currently trying to translate what I KNOW into what I DO. I just recently was able to understand that to love others requires me to love myself first. I can never respect the love that someone has for me if I don't respect the object of their affection. It's like spending every day reminding myself how much I hate the state of Virginia but still expecting to marry someone who was born and raised there.

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  7. This is great! I'm nearing the 30 mark and getting a little nervous. But it's silly, isn't it. They're just numbers and they really don't mean much. Anyway, thanks for sharing Syd.
    Molls

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  8. Hi syd, just been watching tv with luke well of course were both multitasking on computers, hes thrown me off mine and im stuck on the one i call xenon.
    yes named after that infamous gas which no one knew reacted with fluorine.
    what causes u to behave the way we do to age is it caused by hormones or is it something else, my guess is its mainly society, but some stuff biology of course.
    doing CVs has made me think back, doing A levels at college was so much fun, my life was so good back then then drink, solvents, hospital, dead end job, i was happy then and cannabis and alcohol took over until 2004 when drink stopped..
    suddenly im 40 wheres it gone?
    Ps it too late for me to learn a trade like an electrician?
    One thing has always remain unanswered from my days of Chemistry is there a substance that is a strong enough oxidizing agent that can liberate fluorine from a fluoride, i once thought per xenic acid was, ive never been able to find that out even with the net?
    Age?

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  9. Very cute post. It made me smile and even chuckle a little.

    Thanks for giving me that lift in spirit.

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  10. Excellent post! I like that as you get older, late eighties and nineties, you can get away with more crap and not have to worry about the consequences.

    I can’t wait.

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  11. When my children were little we used to celebrate 1/2 birthdays with cup cakes. They loved it!

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  12. As a sober man in recovery for 5 years, I've lived 60 months longer than I otherwise might have.
    So far.

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  13. Too funny...

    Age never bothers me

    Weight does though

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  14. What Dave said, minus a couple months.

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  15. I gotta tell ya, i really enjoyed turning 30.. The Durty Thirty we called it.. celebrated by having a party to celebrate being 30 and a bachelor.. a "bachelor party" if you will.. I feel the pull of age though.. as I still become accustomed to the situations and lessons that come with age, I stick to listening to the kid inside. It's a way to keep me smiling more.

    P.S.
    I have written a small piece in an effort to show gratitude for what I have learned, by reading stories such as yours. Please visit it and give me your feedback.. i will be keeping an eye on the posts you write! Be well!

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  16. this is BRILLIANT!!!! i stopped having birthdays at 32 (no reason) but every year on a certain day people are invited to my house and are requested to bring presents in exchange for food or snacks, heee heee heee

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  17. Wonderful. Im 48 coming up 49 next month. But I'm OVER 20 years sober. You're right in what you say. I never thought of age like that. Odd how the older I get the more accepting I have become. Now is that the programme or is that age?

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