Reflections on reaching 50

First I’d like to register the fact that, even though I seem to have fallen for the half-century mystique by choosing this day to write on, I don’t really think that 50 years of life on this earth is worth such a big deal. Some reasons that I could give for this follow.

Given that my life expectancy, based on both maternal and paternal relatives and immediate family, is around 90 years, the half way mark is around 45 and not 50. Then again, I don’t think that there is much to celebrate at a half way mark, whether it’s at 45 or 50, since you have just completed the better half of your life. Your powers, both physical and intellectual, have now been on the wane for quite some time, and, as the mathematician Hardy pointed out, you are now at the age when you can start writing books, since innovative research is no longer a real option.

Although I still have most of my teeth, and all my hair, which is salt and pepper, with the salt winning handsomely, signs of wear and tear are everywhere. My children’s friends all call me “coroa” and “tio” (geezer and uncle, respectively, if not respectfully) and, recently, reflecting my new status, even “vovô” (grandfather). I am ten kilos heavier than I should be and my knees hurt after a week of running that is intended to shake off the circumferential excess adipose tissue.

So what should I celebrate? Perhaps the fact that I’m still alive and that, despite all manner of maintenance, plumbing, hardware and software problems that will undoubtedly arise, I will eventually have plenty of leisure time to do all sorts of interesting things.

Optimistic interlude: Perhaps a good retirement occupation for me, even a dream occupation, would be to become a culture jockey for some kind of multimedia “site” which has a music section where I can podcast my current “world” music favorites, a documentary & film site which is also mainly on an exotic axis, a mathematical “gems” corner to show Proofs from The Book, and various other tabs to showcase poetry, linguistics, literature. Finally, an e-library, which embodies the motto “Borrow what you want, forever”, but also has a drop-box where borrowers can contribute their favorites, in any form and where I can go and curate the “droppings”. All this to be seamlessly and shamelessly (i.e., no copyright hassles) integrated into something that ensnares an unsuspecting surfer who rides into this “site” to at least tarry awhile and contribute some gems. End of interlude.

Maybe I should also celebrate the fact that, so far, I have been luckier than many of my counterparts and contemporaries, although, given the large variability in their luck quotas, this is not saying very much.

In any case, I hope to have convinced you that, except for the privileged few who rise above the sea of mediocrity that engulfs us all (myself included as engulfee!), there is really not much to celebrate at 50. Perhaps the picture changes at 70 or 80, but I don’t really believe this.