3. From the Hub...

Version 4.0

We belong to Generation X…we were born during the Vietnam war, our Mother’s burned their bras, we were teethed on the sounds of singer-songwriters, our journey through puberty was captured by John Hughes, we witnessed technology advance at lightning speed, our music could be seen and we all wanted our MTV, and we survived and thrived on sarcasm and pop culture.

We remember when Reagan was shot by a man obsessed with Jodie Foster, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded before our own eyes, Oklahoma City was bombed by one of our own, a massacre at Columbine High School made us thankful we had already graduated, and a beautiful Tuesday morning in September 2001 changed us forever.

Some of us have already hit 40 and some of us are heading directly into its path, as for me, it happened more than six months ago and much to my surprise…I have embraced it whole-heartedly.

I never dreaded turning 30 until I woke up on my birthday, and refused to let anyone wish me a “Happy Birthday” until my actual time of birth occurred, which thankfully was 5:44pm…I may have been a bit crazy! After the official time came and went I was good, and I would like to thank tequila for its role in my happiness that day!

I started dreading 40 the day I turned 39, and when I woke up on my 40^th birthday it didn’t matter what time it was, I was already an old crone…woe was I. I would like to thank tequila for its role in my happiness that day too, but because a hangover at 40 makes you feel like you are 107 for the next two days, I cannot.

Being in your thirties kicks ass and I would highly recommend them to everyone, and according to every person who has lived through their forties, it not only kicks ass – it takes names!

At 40…comfortable shoes and sexy shoes have equal appeal, being in a nightclub may feel a bit awkward when surrounded by people who don’t remember life before cell phones, words like consistent and reliable are sexy, arguing with a lesser adversary is pointless, you know where to find MTV and still you never go there, and your tolerance for bullshit is non-existent.

Some of us have children in college, and some of us are still trying to drown out the sounds of our biological clocks tick-tick-tocking. Some of us have been married for twenty years, and some of us are wondering if there is such a thing as happily ever after. Some of us see the future as the best to come, and some of us live in the memories of our youth (personally I think this primarily applies to men).

No matter where you are at 40, be thankful and grateful you are no longer in your 20’s ;)

 

Anthony Michael Hall is cooler than Judd Nelson...what?!

Originally published on HubPages ~ October 2011