It just so happens that on this day 60 years ago my mother went through the agony to bring me in this world. I thanked her for that when she said "happy birthday son." I said, "you had more to do with it than I, I just started breathing." She looked at me quizzled and said "happy birthday anyway" with a slightly irritated manner.
I don't think that birthdays are important, not mine anyway. I guess "60" is somewhat significant but it has nothing to do with how I feel. All that "60" tells anyone is that I should have a wealth of knowledge and experience given that much time spent alive. I have been many places, I have done a great many of things.
Birthdays are important for the young, especially the very young. As time is relative, when you are young the time between birthdays seems very long. When you get my age, the years seem to run together. It seems like only yesterday I was celebrating my 40th birthday. That was the last celebration of my annual reminder. Again at my age celebrating birthdays isn't fun nor desired.
So for my birthday I bought my dog a sweater and took my mom out to dinner. Mission accomplished. My family history says that I will probably make it far beyond 90, but I am not looking forward to it. One thing for sure is that I am not contemplating an afterlife. The closer to death I get, the more I think that there is no chance of an afterlife. I guess it's the fact that I know more and more people that have passed every year that I live. And yes, no contact from the other side.
When I die, I hope this forum is still going. If it is, I plan to log on somehow and post, arguing with the best of you. My call sign will be "from the dark side."
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Happy Birthday myk
Well a belated happy birthday then, I concur wholeheartedly with all of your post. Having just made it to 52 it strikes a chord with my own experience. Though if my father and grandfather are any objective marker I have around 20 years left. As I get older I have. like you. come to terms with my own mortality more and more. At times it's an uncomfortable thought, but I am weary of believing things that make me comfortable as this lends motive and therefor bias to that belief. When I think I might have twenty years left, I remind myself that just 20 years ago i was only 32. It lends a certain perspective, and reminds me I also have that experience to help me make better decisions and use of my time over the next 20 years.
Happy birthday!
Birthdays remind me I am closer to 80 than 20. I refuse to celebrate mine. Instead, I celebrate anniversaries of previous birthdays. This summer I celebrated the 40th anniversary of my 18th birthday.
I used to celebrate every birthday as another victory over the forces of entropy and decay. Now I just celebrate that every morning when I wake up. I'm now working on my next big milestone: 25,000 days.
Anyway, Congrats Mykcob4 and anybody else considering our ultimate oblivion.
Happy birthday mykcob4!!!
Look at like this (I know I am young) you have one life and this life you are still alive in, leave marks on people you know and interact with, yet try to leave as little scars as possible. We have an expectation that life will show us what's important yet only we can decide what is important to us. I don't personally know you but I like you, I feel like we could have great conversations and that to me leaves a great impression. If you died today know that others have fond memories of you!
On that day you were introduced to life without having a choice in the matter, imprinted with a primordial instinct to survive and then told you were going to die one day. Your reply was: "Thanks a pant-load, Chet."
Happy life day.
My mother celebrated my birthday until I told her to let it go when I turned 17. She complied and it has not been celebrated since.
The world is a better place with mykcob4 in it! Happy Birthday!
Thanx from all of you and Pitar, leave it to you to put the perfect spin on it.
Happy Birthday anyway
@mykcob4:
Welcome to the 60-plus club!