Aug 16 2008
on the issue of aging
Today is my uncle’s birthday, he’s turning 62. He probably wouldn’t want me to tell you all that. He wants no reminders of it whatsoever. It’s not the youngest age in the world, I know, but I get baffled when people don’t want to celebrate their birthdays because they think they are old. Even better is when people say they don’t celebrate birthdays, only accomplishments. Living is an accomplishment. Health is too.
My uncle has managed to live to be 62 years old. He’s still active, heck he’s more than active. He does more stuff than half the people I know my age. He goes paint balling, wild water rafting, and spend a week each year going hiking on the Appalachian Trial. He’s even still good looking as far as dads go, all of my friends have called him a DILF (dad I’d like to, well you get it).
So many people don’t live a long life. Look at Anderson Cooper’s brother, dead at 23, or even his dad who was gone at 50. There’s also Heath Ledger, James Dean, and countless others.
Getting old might not be the greatest thing in the world but compared to the alternative, it’s awesome. Everyone should remember this the next time they are embarrassed to be aging.
