Turning 50

I'm at Starbucks listening to Todd Rundgren's "Hello It's Me" on my iTunes-a retro song on a new gadget. I've been in this "time warp" lately. My mind is being transported back to the days of my youth. You see I turned 50 a few days ago and I'm trying to wrap my head around it. Am I getting old or am I getting older? "Older" I can live with, but "Old" sounds, well-Old.

Turning 50 for a Man today has its challenges. Men need to have a purpose. Turning 50 in a young man's world gives me pause. I'm not whining and I refuse to be a victim. Turning 50 has its advantages and I still enjoy hanging out with my younger friends. But I began to notice some changes in the way I thought about my future, my life and my manhood. I noticed that the ambitions I had at 30 were no longer relevant at 50. When I was 30, I wanted to climb the corporate ladder. But at 50 I'm climbing down that ladder. When I was 30, the race was before me-at 50 the finish line is before me. It's time to pass the baton-which is my legacy.

My friend Perry said "turning 50 is like sitting on a mountain peak, where you could look in the distance 30 years and see 80. Then turn and look 30 years behind you and see 20". 50 is the equi-center and I am now entering the second half. My task is to find a balance between feeling like a 25 year old and not acting like one.

There's a difference between being Cool and being Creepy. I can enjoy the company of my young friends without trying desperately to be like them. I use the "cool and creepy" test for most my interactions, like what I put on my Facebook status, to how I talk to a young lady.

The other thing I began to notice was, the things that bothered me in the past were no longer the "pebble in my shoe" today. I asked myself if the regrets and unresolved issues of my past are really worth carrying into the next phase. I could see the finish line. I want to finish the race without out that old baggage weighing me down.

Turning 50 is a gateway to the next phase of life and I'm going into it without the hang-ups of the past. Turning 50 helped me clarify what is most important in life and that is My Faith-My Family and My Friends.

Turning 50 is cool.