----------------------------------------
Buenos Aires (Palermo District), ArgentinaApril 5, 2007
S 34°35.045
W 058°24.500
Laura says I have to write the blog update for 5 April 2007. First, let’s get a few things straight. Since I’m the Editor in Chief for our blog my job actually includes editing, adding “color commentary”, inserting hyperlinks, and uploading photos and quick-time movies to all of our updates. I admit Laura is responsible for > 95% of the content in every update and our blog would be nowhere near as slick without her dedication and prose. At the same time, it’s not like I’ve never written for our blog.
So… per Laura’s request I need to write the blog today and explain what it feels like to turn 40 years old. I’ve decided to approach the answer to this question from a Time Perspective and from a Physical and Spiritual Perspective.
Time Perspective:
Laura seems much more excited about my 40th birthday than me. This isn’t surprising since I rarely give much thought to my birthday, and probably wouldn’t even remember my birthday unless she reminded me each year. Plus, I usually get a call from the four sets of parents singing “Happy Birthday” in my ear or on my voicemail. I really stopped thinking about my birthday after my 21st… not that my 21st was that special, but at least I didn’t need to use my roommate’s ID to buy a twelver of Keystone Light anymore.
So… what does 40 feel like?
Well, the reason I don’t give it much thought is because in the overall picture of time; infinite and without a beginning or and end, 40 years is simply… well nothing. Think about it… Earth is nearly 4.6 billion years old and Man has only been scurrying around for about 30-40,000 years. So, I haven’t even been around for 0.1% of the time Man has inhabited our planet and only 0.0000009% of the time our planet has existed. Can we say insignificant?
So, to ask what it feels like to be 40 is sorta like asking a grain of sand in the Sahara desert what it feels like to be part of the world’s largest desert. I guess it would feel like a grain of sand.
I realize 40 is a major milestone to many people, but to me it’s just another moment in time. Don’t get me wrong… I’ve enjoyed nearly every moment, and those I haven’t enjoyed have been valuable learning experiences. I sincerely look forward to spending many more moments navigating my way through this universe, but living for 14,600 days feels about the same as 13,778 days.
Physically and Spiritually:
Chronologically my physical body is now 40 years old. I tend to view my body as a vessel; like a boat, truck or plane carrying “who I am” through this universe. Physically, I feel like I’m in pretty good shape for a “40 year old man”. At the same time, in the past few years, I’ve discovered my vessel isn’t as resilient as it used to be and I’ve had to make compensations. There are parts that need adjusting and other parts I wish I could simply replace, but from an overall perspective I think this vessel should last a few more years. Keeping my vessel in working-order is very important since it is currently the only means I know to navigate “who I am” through time.
This of course leads to questions… “Who am I?” and “What happens when I no longer have a functional vessel?” I sincerely believe these are the questions that cause people so much stress and anxiety about aging.
Personally, I’m comfortable not knowing the answers to these questions.
I realize there are countless questions that will never be answered and things I will never understand; hey, I’m just a 40 year old man. Rather than worrying about these questions I’ll continue to take advantage of the limited and unknown time I have at my disposal. For me it’s all about being happy… I’ll continue to explore life with my loved ones and hopefully help as many people along my path as possible.
So, in my opinion, that’s what it feels like to be 40.
No comments:
Post a Comment