How many times can I say 40?

Posted on August 14, 2006 by Gene

I was awake for the very moment when I turned 40, 5:40am (Pacific Time). I don’t know what I expected — maybe a shudder like an earthquake, or something. But in reality, turning 40 felt like nothing.
I was going to say that I don’t feel like I’m 40, but I have no idea what 40 is supposed to feel like. 40 is one of those arbitrary ages that people harp about, they’ve made 40 into a milestone. I’m not sure what they think should happen by the time you’re 40; I had my mid-life crisis and my heart attack in my 30s, so perhaps I’m ahead of the curve — at least, in the less desirable aspects of being 40.
That said, as I brushed my teeth this morning and looked at myself in the mirror, I decided on my long-term being-40 strategy: I will embrace being 40 because no one will ever believe that I am 40.
Yup. That’s the ticket. Tell people I’m 40 as a point of pride, and they won’t believe me. They can go on thinking that I’m in my 30s all they want.
Like the Queen, here’s my official birthday portrait, taken this morning. Can I just say, I love PhotoBooth? Fun!