What is life? Answer the question as you wish. But getting through each day is a victory. Surviving to see another year is a triumph that one should celebrate. I do not say this lightly. In many parts of the world, and one particular region of Europe at the moment, these victories are harder to come by. Today, I celebrate my 50th annual victory. A half century. Win after win after win. Believe me, I have never gotten tired of all this winning.
Not everyone gets this far. Today is the day that I look to see who I beat. For this to be my victory, it must be a defeat for some other less fortunate souls. Alexander Hamilton, President Garfield, Arthur Ashe, Garrincha, Jackie Wilson, Anna Pavlova, Davy Crockett and Edith Cavell all fell short of the magical half century mark. But the most notable name, as far as I’m concerned, is that of Douglas Adams. Most famous for his Hitchhiker books, but it was his Last Chance To See audiobooks that I loved. He remains missed. Mrs P and I saw his grave in Highgate a few years ago. Forty-nine is too young an age. Sad.
I write this from the balcony of my AirBnB in Taormina, overlooking the bay. It’s a glorious place. Somewhere I hope to come again. I mustn’t leave it too long. I’m very conscious that having reached the half century, most of my victories are now behind me. Indeed, I made my first appearance in the world at 9.30pm on this day, 1972. So I have two hours to go before I am truly a half centenarian. I do hope that writing this post hasn’t jinxed it…
The Mexile 
Happy birthday! I hope Stew and I catch up with your travels, even if you have a 24-year head start on us!
LikeLike
Thanks Al. And one day, here or in Mexico, we’ll grab a coffee…
LikeLike
“And miles to go before I sleep.” A good post. Going on my next fifty I can appreciate that feeling. Keep on trucking, my friend.
LikeLike
Thanks Ricardo
LikeLike
Happy Birthday, Gary, and many, many more! Turning 50 didn’t bother me in the least, neither did sixty… but seventy really makes one think of one’s mortality.
LikeLike
Thanks William. Fifty seems ok so far. Not as good as 40. But better than I imagine 60, as you say…
LikeLike
Happy Birthday Gary and many more!
As you celebrate your fiftieth birthday I’m celebrating my thirty seventh wedding anniversary. My brother naturally enough isn’t on your list however but he died eighteen days shy of his fiftieth birthday. I’m sure it was a surprise to him as he had just received his Canadian residency card after five years.. such is life!
Enjoy your holiday, I’m off to dinner with my wonderful lady wife and I’ll toast your good health!
LikeLike
Thanks Colm. I happen to think that getting through 37 years of marriage is far more of an achievement than making it to 50. All I had to do was keep breathing, eating and not get hit by fast moving objects. 😉
LikeLike
Well congrats. And IMO you have gotten in a lot over that time — seen a lot of the world, scribed more good posts than I could count, and of course have found a good and true missus. Yes you have been victorious.
I was at the cemetery a number of months back, visiting my mom’s crypt. And strangely, I kept running into these markers of people who were born about the same time I was, but had already passed a number of years ago. It was rather creepy really. And of course you probably remember from my Opera posts that, hell, I was supposed to be dead years ago. And yet here I am still at age 67 now.
There’s no telling why God does such things. We can only shrug and throw up a mystified hand.
LikeLike
Thanks Ed.
I’ve had a few friends pass away prematurely. They took a wrong step, or made a bad choice. I haven’t – thankfully – gotten to the age yet where folks my age have passed away ‘just because’. I guess I’m getting closer. I do remember your Opera posts, and I do remember being a little concerned when there was a gap in your blogging output. Happy to see you’re still with us. It’s always good to hear from you.
LikeLike