To wake upon 40th Birthday....

Sunday, May 01, 2011 , , , 13 Comments



"Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age"
~Victor Hugo

On the eve of my 40th Birthday, its strange to feel what I am feeling right now.  I realized today why people are secretive about their age, especially women.  Though, you get older every year, it's kind of scary when you step in to 30 and nightmare when you turn 40...

Stock taking:

As usual the stock taking for the year is happening inside me and to my surprise I found it increased in leaps and bounds.  4 inches in my frame, 6 kgs in body weight, 25-30 heart beat (extra)/minute, 20-25 brand new titanium hairs (Courtesy: not L'oreal)

There were certainly few stocks which got decreased like 25% of hair, 2dB loss in hearing, ?.75 D as hypermetropia (note that I am already myopic) and am not sure, if I should list this in increase or decrease... bit confused here.

I also found that there were certain areas were the stock was equal rather neutral / no change. My dreams, career, friends, family.

So, what now...?!?

I asked myself and slowly it dawned on me the advantages of turning 40.  This is the time when one can feel healthy disregard on what others would think and live for themselves. It's pretty rejuvenating and exhilarating to experience this magic. I also now have the authority (as a "been there, done it all" types) to advice younger generation and have the right not to listen to any advices from "oldies" ("Common! you can't keep advising me forever, I am forty myself").

This fact is kind of liberating, the feel that you are superior and you don't have to listen to anyone....

But I also realized few changes in me, which pulled me down and I term it as Symptomatic 40 Syndrome... here I am listing them for you.
  1. "About me" page needs a revisit...
  2. Looking out for my school mates in social networks and think of having a reunion.
  3. Make sure to "comment" and "like" your friends, family member's updates, photos in facebook and fish for comments and response and feel down when they are not receptive.
  4. Quick trips to beauty parlors are mandatory and not a luxury anymore.
  5. Yeah! preaching varieties of -isms the same way, my moms and aunts preached.
  6. A bit quick to forgive myself, considering my age.
  7. Taking more care to look young and feel elated when people say, "You are 40? you don't look that way" and feel disappointed when they say you don't look a day older than 35. (Whew! what do you expect, that they will tell you that you look like a teen?)
  8. Start complaining about health and think of retirement.
Common Viji! You are 40 and not "Paati" (Grandma in Tamil) yet :) buck up buddy!

Oh! Yeah! to add up to the above list,

9.  Give pep talk to yourself

(The way I just did in the previous sentence.)

Dammit! I just can't believe, I am living the last few hours of my late 30s and I simply can't believe I am writing this post.   

Viji

Some say he’s half man half fish, others say he’s more of a seventy/thirty split. Either way he’s a fishy bastard. Google

13 Candles:

Unknown said...

lol..i can relate to all these to the core viji and you very well know why :) reading you always gives me new, softer, sometimes even more colorful lenses to see life thru with..and for that im very very grateful!

kudos! for all the writes and for reaching OUR age the way you are :)

happy birthday sis//

Viji said...

I Know I know rina :) another 25 minutes according to Indian time, I am still in my 30s :) few minutes and I intend to stay awake till 12... all said and done, i'm kind of jittery ;) guess tomorrow I'll be fine...

Thanks for your wishes rina!

A Blip said...

Viji, u certainly dont look 40..! I would say u look like early 30s :)

A Blip said...

U certainly dont look 40....To my eyes, u look like early 30s :)

Viji said...

he he... thanks :)

kavitha said...

Viji, wish you many more happy returns of the day!

That was a nice humourous post, Viji. I always admire your charisma, energy, enthusiasm, dress-sense, humour and what not! Overall you are a frank and wonderful person and it is a pleasure knowing you Viji!

And I agree with Krithika, that you don't look a day older than 30, beautiful and elegant as always..

Viji said...

Thanks Kavitha! You are very generous with your compliments :) i'm loving it though... keep doing it often... maybe I will start looking as if I am in late 20s tat way...

Anonymous said...

People usually feel bad about getting aged. But you dont seem to be thinking that way.

Enjoy each of the changes Forty has brought you.

That was a nice humourous post, Viji.

Viji said...

@krishna enjoying enjoying :)

Belated Birthday wishes Viji. I missed it.

To our eyes, you are always the vibrant, charming, young Viji. bubbly and enthusiastic.

You look like 30s.

Viji said...

Thanks Devs :)

sorry I meant 25s, not 30s :-)my mom couldnt believe that u have a ninth standard son.

She thought ur kid would be doing kindergarden(some people get away easily..sigh)

Viji said...

10th Standard and awaiting results Devs :) thanks again :) your mom looks damn young and coming from her, I consider it an Oscar rating (if at all they give oscars for young looking moms who turned 40 :)

wisdom comes with experience

At one, I learnt crawling was fun. At forty one, I still feel crawling is fun #blamemykneesnotme