Happy birthday, David Beckham. Earlier this yr, Beckham, nonetheless impressively bronzed, toned and sculpted, was modelling his personal line of underwear. At this time, he turns 50. It could be honest to say he seems to be good for it.
However how does it really feel to be 50? If reminiscence serves – and it doesn’t, actually; it was some time in the past now – 50 isn’t a lot a landmark age as a whistle cease between 40 and 60. No less than, that’s the way it appears with hindsight. At 40, there are nonetheless large inquiries to reply – “When do I really turn into an grownup?” being chief amongst them. By 50, you start to know that maturity is not a fascinating aim – you’ve already handed by means of the period when it might have counted for one thing.
Sure, 50 might be miserable, but it surely’s not as miserable as turning 60. Take my phrase for it. Sixty is once you realise that the one approach ahead is to develop an immunity to embarrassment, as a result of store employees have began smiling with pained forbearance when you may’t work out which finish of the reader to faucet your card towards (as a result of they maintain altering it, for no cause).
Fifty, then again, comes at you want a blessed reprieve: you might be simply starting your ascent on the far facet of the so-called happiness curve, climbing up from the trough of discontent that sometimes ensnares individuals of their 40s. For those who handled your fortieth birthday as a wake-up name – a time to embark on the brand new profession path, dietary regime or train plan, earlier than it was too late – then by 50 you and your life ought to be in fairly fine condition. For those who didn’t, then 50 provides you yet another probability to vary course. It seems it’s not too late.
Boomers, with their knack for making all the things all about them, destigmatised ageing as they reached every new milestone (you’re welcome). Thus 60 turned the brand new 40, and by default 50 turned the brand new 30. Besides: what 50-year-old would wish to be 30 once more? Who would wish to return to that age of insecurity and ignorance? Not me. I do not forget that man, and he was very troublesome to work with.
It’s unclear how any of this may have an effect on David Beckham – how wealth and fame and actually good abs may distort the arc of the happiness curve. How does 50 really feel for somebody who was as soon as finest identified for being younger, who made his skilled debut at 17, and bought his first England cap at 21? Somebody who raised questions on whether or not his maturity might ever maintain tempo together with his expertise?
One factor we find out about David Beckham is that he performs lengthy sport. I’m not frightened about him. However even Beckham may discover the prospect of his fiftieth party – nonetheless lavish – miserable. On the time, you assume it could be the final enjoyable celebration you’ll ever attend. Don’t panic – different individuals you realize can have fiftieth birthdays, and a few of them will spend extra money than you probably did.
As I mentioned, I don’t keep in mind a lot about turning 50, or something in regards to the celebration my spouse threw for me. I solely actually keep in mind the subsequent morning, when, badly hungover, I bought up early and went all the way down to the again backyard to seek out each flat floor lined in low cost Ikea wine glasses, every of them precisely half stuffed with rain. That was pretty much as good a metaphor for turning 50 as I used to be prone to come throughout, so I promised myself I might by no means elaborate on it.
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