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Saturday 16 June 2012This is more than 12 years old. Be careful.

I was born on this day in 1962, which means, somehow, inexplicably, I am 50 years old.

Yesterday I celebrated with Susan and the boys with a ballon ride in Quechee, VT, a great time. Today is the Special Olympics swim meet, and tomorrow is Father’s Day, so the weekend is stuffed full with special events.

50 is a really big number. Not only does it put me into a different decade of life, but a different round fraction of the century. On top of that, statistically speaking, I will not live another 50 years, so I am decidedly in the second half of my life.

But on the other hand, a birthday is a day like any other, only one day older, and all of that. It’s hard to know what to make of these milestones. Yesterday I was 49.99726, and now I am 50.00000, which is hardly any difference at all. Tomorrow I will be only 50.00274. But 50 is very different from 20, and those changes come from somewhere. Birthdays are simply when we mark them.

Although I still spend most of my waking hours on a computer, it seems to be more about people and less about the computer. I create more English, and less code. I don’t know if this is an extended trend, or just a phase. Luckily I don’t have to know, I just do what interests me.

I freelance and enjoy my independence, but sometimes miss the extended shared focus of a cohesive work group. Again, trend or phase? Don’t know.

So 50 hasn’t brought me wisdom, except to be thoughtful about what matters to me, and to be good to those around me. Perhaps that’s all anyone needs to know.

» 9 reactions

Comments

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Happy Birthday Ned
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A very happy birthday to you! As ever, an eloquent and thoughtful post from you.
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Happy birthday, Ned! The people on the receiving side appreciate the English and code you create. :)
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Happy Birthday Ned! You'll have to post photos of your B-Day cake!
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You may not see your wisdom because it has come so slowly, but others see it. Happy Birthday, Ned! :-)
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Very belated Happy Birthday, Ned! Sorry I missed your birthday but that shows since few weeks I did not visited you blog and suddenly I realized that, and here I am back again. It's always interesting to read your blog whether it's English or code.
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Happy birthday Ned :). Belated, sorry, been offline...
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Happy birthday Ned :).
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Gheesh Ned, you call 50 "old" :-)

Wait until you are 62 and still cranking the stuff.

paul
p.s. what made me think of you? This:
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/09/hear-all-ye-people-hearken-o-earth-part-2/?hp

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