What is middle age?
When I was younger it was 40. Some yard on the block would randomly have a bunch of stupid flamingos and a sign announcing that so-and-so was old as fuck.
At 20, 40 is old. Most people at that age would still feel that way. But when was the last time you saw flamingos?
When the average lifespan in the west hovers around that 80-year mark, 40 is technically middle age. But the stigma around it seems to be shifting.
I can’t remember the last time I saw a yard with a bunch of stupid signs. Then again, I live downtown. Maybe it’s still a thing in the ‘burbs?
More and more often, you don’t hear people complaining about hitting 40. This generation tends to view 40 as just another year. They hit that age and say “This is 40? It doesn’t feel like 40.”
Life is so much more stimulating these days. There are fewer mundane routines. People generally live healthier, more active lifestyles. With books, blogs and podcasts come near-infinite access to tips and tricks to defy the typical ageing process.
Whatever it is, what used to appear as “middle age” no longer seems to be the case.
Unfortunately, too many people still get hung up on a number, an age. They behave differently as they approach this magical set of digits. As if reaching it means the end of one thing, and the start of something else — something less-enjoyable.
It’s nonsense.
The overweight balding 40-year-old buying a red sports car is a bygone cliché. Most people in their 40s that I know have lives similar to that of their twenties. The only difference is that they’re better at it. They have different responsibilities, but they learn to balance. They still live.
Maybe 40 is still considered middle age. Perhaps it’s moved to 50. Even then, I know several people approaching that number as well that don’t fit the bill.
I say we purge the concept from the lexicon entirely. The idea of a specific time in your life when everything takes a turn for the worse benefits no one.
Stop focusing on what difficulties may come and start focusing on what’s possible.
You’ll be happier for it.
Mid-life crisis averted.