Blowing Out One More Candle

I'm having another birthday in a couple weeks, which is kind of weird since it seems like I just HAD a stinkin' birthday. These yearly milestones do seem to come around a lot quicker than they used to, that’s for sure. I guess it’s true: time flies when you’re having fun...

 

…Or getting older.

However, surveying the demographic landscape it appears I've now wandered into a wasteland of years that totally defies description. I'm at that "awkward age"; an ambiguous and paradoxical period of life located somewhere between still relevant and completely not. 

 

It's a strange and tenuous place where, if I croaked today, caring friends would lament, "Oh, he died way too young." But the mere fact that I haven't yet remains an unending source of amusement to these same caring friends. So welcome to my brave new world. 

Had I known this was coming, though, I'm sure I would've been a kinder, gentler youngin’, forgoing making sport of the middle-aged and elderly. Shown more respect. Oh, who am I kidding? No I wouldn't. Back when I wasn’t one of them yet, giving the 'oldsters' the needle was always good for a laugh.

 

But, my, how the worm has turned.

 

I'm getting it back in spades now from my buddies and co-workers, most who reside in the 20's and 30's crowd. Like I was at their age, they remain innocently naive about ever getting older. And like I was, they are blissfully unaware of how quickly the advancing years encroach and advance. But if I can stick around long enough, I'll try really hard not to laugh when it happens to them.

It is kind of funny, though, that something nobody has any control over- like when you were born- turns out to be such an easy source of so much mocking. I mean, much as I'd like to, I can't go back to my mother’s womb and marinate a few more days, weeks- years- longer. I was hatched when I was hatched. But I guess that's the easy part. The real trick comes later on, when you're more than just knee deep into the living process.

 

For me, it wasn’t until after all the spilled milk and broken eggs, mistakes, failures, challenges and growing pains before I finally began to evolve and accept the still-a-work-in-progress guy I am today. Life's not easy; and I'll admit there were times I wanted to capitulate and check out when it became more than I thought I could handle. Yet, somehow, the really tough times didn't break me. Not yet, anyway.

 

But I can't take any credit for that. Whether I realized it or not, it was God who each time saw me through. When I was about to give up, I can only credit Him for the successful intervention. I can't really take any credit for this either, but you don't get this far along in life without developing at least some resilience, character and, maybe even a little courage. Not that I'm brave or special or anything. But somehow, I've always lived to fight another day, a lot of other days. And that ain't me; that's God. 

So the way I look at it, as the big ball of life rolls downhill and gains speed, I've got two choices. I can let it run over me and concede all my best days went with it. Or I can hop on, enjoy the rest of the ride and see what's going to happen next. I think the latter sounds a lot more fun than the former.

True, another birthday means, at some point, more likely sooner than later, I'll be closing in on the end of the road. But that doesn't mean I should stop running. Not while I'm still strong, healthy and out there 'gettin' it done'.

Of course, some days are harder than others; but it’s that way for everybody. And as long as I live I won't ever be immune from life occasionally leaving me down in the dumps. But I still have goals and things I want to do, and reasons to keep getting up every day. And whether I accomplish everything or not, all I really want to do is finish strong. I want: to complete the race standing up.

Besides, what difference does it make how many candles I'll be blowing out (except to the Fire Department)? Shoot, everybody grows old; it’s just the nature of things. You either keep having birthdays, or you don’t; short of dying young, there isn't much any of us can do about it.

Plus getting older does offer one huge advantage- it beats being dead. And mercifully, for the time being, 'the end' is still out there off in the distance, just one of the many coming attractions.
No, I may not always look forward to them as much anymore, but I refuse to retreat from them anymore, either.

Another birthday? So what? Bring it on. And happy birthday to me.