I
have recently marked half a century of my life. I was wondering how that would
feel like. To be honest, “scary” was my first impression. It is similar to the
graduation ceremony of middle school if the total length of life is until
college. Life is certainly limited, not infinite.
When
I was a student, I felt strange that an old teacher could not distinguish 3
from 8. Later on, a gentleman I had dinner with had to wear glasses to see the
menu. Now I have to exchange contact lenses and glasses constantly, not to
mention frequent use of prescribed eye drops to cure my dry eye.
Friends
said kindly happy birthday, and that is much appreciated as continuous friendship.
But now I understand my elder sister’s blunt comment she was not too happy to
welcome her birthday. Indeed, “anti-aging” business is exploding because youth
is closely related to beauty.
So,
I don’t know what to say. Probably maintenance for good health is the key,
similar to the value of used cars irrespective of mileage. Not to work too hard.
Accept who you are. Everything has pros and cons, and embrace the former.
That
said, I certainly have a sense of mission in my profession. That is
actually how Cofucius characterized what one is supposed to do at the age of
fifty; know one’s mission, though I do not agree with the male-dominated
seniority system that he has spread in Asia.
At
any rate, I enjoy life, and that is the most important thing, I guess.
